Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Anim. Sci.
Sec. Animal Breeding and Genetics
Volume 5 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fanim.2024.1450639
This article is part of the Research Topic Genomic Signatures of Artificial Selection in Production Animals: From Selective Sweeps to Favorable Phenotypes. View all articles

Genomic Signatures of Selection in Brangus Cattle Unveiling the Genetic Foundations of Adaptability and Production Traits using a Breed of Origin Approach

Provisionally accepted
Gabriel Zayas Gabriel Zayas *Raluca G Mateescu Raluca G Mateescu
  • University of Florida, Gainesville, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The composite breed Brangus combines the resilience and adaptability of the Bos t. indicus breed Brahman with the superior meat quality and fertility traits of the Bos t. taurus breed Angus. Its diverse genetics not only enables optimal production performance but also adaptability to hot and humid environmental conditions. From a research perspective, this makes Brangus an ideal model for identifying genomic signatures that reveal the effects of both artificial selection and natural adaptation. The aim of this study was to detect genomic signatures of selection by analyzing changes in breed origin of allele (BOA) frequencies across the genome. Utilizing a multi-breed Angus and Brahman herd (n = 4,516) as a reference, analysis of population structure and breed composition was conducted to characterize the genomic background of two commercial Brangus herds (n = 4,720). Results indicated a genome-wide increase in Angus ancestry in both Brangus populations (71.46%, 68.7%), reflecting intense selection for traits associated with this lineage. Our application of BOA in both intra-and inter-population analyses revealed significant shifts in Brahman and Angus ancestry across the genome indicating potential selection for each breed's genetics. Key genomic regions were identified on multiple chromosomes (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 27, and 28) and were linked to fertility, growth, heat tolerance, carcass, and meat quality. Genes expected to show signatures of selection (MC1R, responsible for black coat color and PLAG1, a gene integral to growth, fertility, and carcass traits) were also identified, affirming the effectiveness of this novel methodology and showcasing the method's ability to identify signatures of selection. Our analysis also identified novel genes under selection, such as CCNB2 and MTCH2, critical to fertility and meat quality, respectively. The identification of regions affected by artificial selection provides deeper insights into the genetic mechanisms driving cattle adaptation and production performance and generates important information for strategic breeding practices to optimize the strengths of both parental breeds.

    Keywords: Angus, Brahman, adaptation, Composite breeds, artificial selection, BOA

    Received: 17 Jun 2024; Accepted: 27 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zayas and Mateescu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Gabriel Zayas, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.