Author(s): CESAR, A. S. M.; REGITANO, L. C. de A.; MOURÃO, G. B.; TULLIO, R. R.; LANNA, D. P. D.; NASSU, R. T.; MUDADU, M. de A.; OLIVEIRA, P. S. N.; NASCIMENTO, M. L. do; CHAVES, A. S.; ALENCAR, M. M. de; SONSTEGRAD, T. S.; GARRICK, D. J.; REECY, J. M.; COUTINHO, L. L.

Summary: Meat from Bos taurus and Bos indicus breeds are an important source of nutrients for humans and intramuscular fat (IMF) influences its flavor, nutritional value and impacts human health. Human consumption of fat that contains high levels of onounsaturated fatt y acids (MUFA) can reduce the concentration of undesirable cholesterol (LDL) in circulating blood. Different feeding practices and genetic variation within and between breeds influences the amount of IMF and fatty acid (FA) composition in meat. However, it is difficult and costly to determine fatty acid composition, which has precluded beef cattle breeding programs from selecting for a healthier fatty acid profile. In this study, we employed a high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip to genotype 386 Nellore steers, a Bos indicus breed and, a Bayesian approach to identify genomic regions and putative candidate genes that could be involved with deposition and composition of IMF.

Publication year: 2014

Types of publication: Journal article

Unit: Embrapa Southeastern Livestock

Keywords: Bos Indicus, Fatty acid, GWAS, Positional candidate gene, beef