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Title: TOWARDS MARKER ASSISTED SELECTION IN DAIRY CATTLE: HIGH-THROUGHPUT GENOTYPING ON THE ABI-3700

Author
item Sonstegard, Tad
item Ashwell, Melissa
item Van Tassell, Curtis - Curt

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: Sonstegard, T.S., Ashwell, M.S., Van Tassell, C.P. 1999. Towards marker assisted selection in dairy cattle: high-throughput genotyping on the abi-3700 [abstract].

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting milk production efficiency, disease resistance, and longevity in dairy cattle have been detected via linkage to simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers by application of the granddaughter design to a historical US population. However, markers identifying these loci are not yet amenable for commercial use in current populations to improve genetic prediction. This is primarily due to experimental limitations of the historical population where statistical power is limited for QTL interval confirmation and refinement. Also, allele frequency and phenotypic designation are indeterminate for current populations. To overcome these limitations, we have expanded our analyses to an ongoing collection of animals from extended pedigrees. Boosting family size and the number of markers analyzed for each potential QTL requires significant increases in throughput of genotypic data. Transition from multiple gel electrophoresis systems to automated capillary electrophoresis on a single ABI-3700 resulted in a four-fold increase in throughput, while maintaining costs and utility of analyzing current marker systems. Allele resolution on this instrument was comparable to gel based systems, and allele sizes varied by 0-1 bp. The failure rate of sample analysis attributable to this instrument was <3% (n = 40,000). Overall, the ABI-3700 provides a reliable, efficient platform for performing high-throughput genotyping with SSR markers.