AUTHOR=Ren Honghui , He Xiaoming , Lu Ying , Yue Dan , Liu Xingneng , Wu Dongwang , Zhu Junhong , Gao Zhendong , Xi Dongmei , Deng Weidong 

TITLE=Unveiling the common loci for six body measurement traits in Chinese Wenshan cattle

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2023.1318679

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2023.1318679

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Introduction:</bold> Body measurement traits are integral in cattle production, serving as pivotal criteria for breeding selection. Wenshan cattle, a local breed in China’s Yunnan province, exhibit remarkable genetic diversity. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating body measurement traits in Wenshan cattle remain unexplored.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> In this study, we performed a genome-wide association method to identify genetic architecture for body height body length hip height back height (BAH), waist height and ischial tuberosity height using the Bovine 50 K single nucleotide polymorphism Array in 1060 Wenshan cattles.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> This analysis reveals 8 significant SNPs identified through the mixed linear model (MLM), with 6 SNPs are associated with multiple traits and 4 SNPs are associated with all 6 traits. Furthermore, we pinpoint 21 candidate genes located in proximity to or within these significant SNPs. Among them, <italic>Scarb1</italic>, <italic>acetoacetyl-CoA synthetase</italic> and <italic>HIVEP3</italic> were implicated in bone formation and rarely encountered in livestock body measurement traits, emerge as potential candidate genes regulating body measurement traits in Wenshan cattle.</p><p><bold>Discussion:</bold> This investigation provides valuable insights into the genetic mechanisms underpinning body measurement traits in this unique cattle breed, paving the way for further research in this domain.</p>