Author(s): AZEVEDO, A. L. S.; NASCIMENTO, C. S.; STEINBERG, R. S.; CARVALHO, M. R. S.; PEIXOTO, M. G. C. D.; TEODORO, R. L.; VERNEQUE, R. S.; GUIMARÃES, S. E. F.; MACHADO, M. A.

Summary: Frequencies of kappa-casein gene alleles were determined in 1316 animals from the Brazilian Bos indicus genetic groups (Sindhi cows, Gyr sires, Gyr cows, Guzerat sires, Guzerat cows, Nellore sires, and Gyr x Holstein crossbreds) by means of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using two independent restriction nucleases (Hinf I and HaeIII). The genotyping of kappa-casein alleles (A and B) is of practical importance, since the B allele is found to correlate with commercially valuable parameters of cheese yielding efficiency. The frequencies of the B allele of kappa-casein among breeds ranged from 0.01 to 0.30. The Sindhi breed had the highest frequency for the B allele (0.30), while the frequencies of this allele in other breeds ranged from 0.01 to 0.18. A wide variation in the B allele frequency among B. indicus breeds was found suggesting that molecular selection for animals carrying the B allele could impact breeding programs for dairy production.

Publication year: 2008

Types of publication: Journal article

Unit: Embrapa Dairy Cattle

Keywords: Candidate genes, Molecular markers, Zebu cattle, casein, k-casein