Polymorphisms of the ACSL1 Gene Influence Milk Production Traits and Somatic Cell Score in Chinese Holstein Cows

Abstract

Improving the quality of milk is a challenge for zootechnicians and dairy farms across the globe. Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) is a significant member of the long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase gene family. It is widely found in various organisms and influences the lactation performance of cows, including fat percentage, milk protein percentage etc. Our study was aimed to investigate the genetic effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ACSL1 on milk production traits. Twenty Chinese Holstein cows were randomly selected to extract DNA from their blood samples for PCR amplification and sequencing to identify SNPs of the bovine ACSL1 gene, and six SNPs (5’UTR-g.20523C>G, g.35446C>T, g.35651G>A, g.35827C>T, g.35941G>A and g.51472C>T) were discovered. Then, Holstein cow genotyping (n = 992) was performed by Sequenom MassARRAY based on former SNP information. Associations between SNPs and milk production traits and somatic cell score (SCS) were analyzed by the least-squares method. The results showed that SNP g.35827C>T was in high linkage disequilibrium with g.35941G>A. Significant associations were found between SNPs and test-day milk yield (TDMY), fat content (FC), protein content (PC) and SCS (p < 0.05). Among these SNPs, SNP 5’UTR-g.20523C>G showed an extremely significant effect on PC and SCS (p < 0.01). The SNP g.35446C>T showed a statistically significant effect on FC, PC, and SCS (p < 0.01), and also TDMY (p < 0.05). The SNP g.35651G>A had a statistically significant effect on PC (p < 0.01). The SNP g.35827C>T showed a highly significant effect on TDMY, FC, and SCS (p < 0.01) and significantly influenced PC (p < 0.05). Lastly, SNP g.51472C>T was significantly associated with TDMY, FC, and SCS (p < 0.05). In summary, the pleiotropic effects of bovine ACSL1 for milk production traits were found in this paper, but further investigation will be required on the intrinsic correlation to provide a theoretical basis for the research on molecular genetics of milk quality traits of Holstein cows.

Diversity of Mitochondrial DNA Haplogroups and Their Association with Bovine Antral Follicle Count

“…These studies also indicated that genetic resources were abundant and needed to be further examined in Chinese Holstein cows. Furthermore, more extensive research on polymorphisms within specific genes revealed that they correlated with milk production traits and reproduction traits in Chinese Holstein cows [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. In particular, in studies on mutations within mitochondrial genes [ 36 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 ], the association of mtDNA genetic diversity with reproductive traits or environmental adaptation to high altitudes in cattle or yaks was also revealed.…”

Polymorphisms of the IL-17A Gene Influence Milk Production Traits and Somatic Cell Score in Chinese Holstein Cows

“…The data were selected based on the following criteria to provide both consistency and dependability for statistical analyses: TDMY ranged from 5 to 60 kg, FC from 2% to 7%, PC from 2% to 6%, and SCS from 0 to 9. In the end, 9076 test day records were used in this investigation [ 33 ].…”

Relationship Between the CYP21 Marker and some Productive and Physiological Traits of Holstein-Friesian Cows

“…Milk production in cows is a function of the number and activity of mammary epithelial cells (MECs), which can be affected by various environmental factors and management practices, so understanding how the mammary gland responds to these environmental cues offers huge potential to enhance milk production in cows. The correlation between MEC number and milk production ranges from 0.50 to 0.85 [4,5]. The biological value of the main milk components is of great economic importance, in addition to its contribution to the nutrition of newborns and its weight gain [6].…”