Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > AN > EA05228
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 46(2)

Discovery, validation and delivery of DNA markers

F. W. Nicholas
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Reprogen, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Email: frankn@vetsci.usyd.edu.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46(2) 155-158 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA05228
Submitted: 24 August 2005  Accepted: 10 February 2006   Published: 3 March 2006

Abstract

Early attempts at finding markers for quantitative trait loci (QTL) in the 1950s and 1960s involved searching for associations between production traits and polymorphisms at loci encoding blood groups, milk proteins and blood proteins. Overall, this work identified many small and/or non-significant associations, insufficient to warrant their use in marker-assisted selection. It was not until the discovery of microsatellites in the early 1990s that a really useful form of DNA marker became available. By the mid-1990s, linkage maps comprising mainly microsatellites covered most regions of most chromosomes of the cow, and it was then possible to hunt for QTL using a mapping approach first proposed in Drosophilia back in 1961. Fine-mapping of QTL has eventually resulted in the identification of markers in or near particular genes. Some of these markers have been commercialised. In most cases, the actual causative quantitative trait nucleotide (QTN) remains elusive. The recent development of technologies for large-scale detection and genotyping for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and for placing the entire genome on a chip have opened up exciting possibilities for the future: geneticists should begin contemplating how best to use SNP and genome chips, which will surely become a reality. Just as one must estimate genetic and phenotypic correlations for every new quantitative trait that is introduced into a genetic evaluation scheme, so must the correlated effects of new DNA markers be evaluated before their commercial use. Researchers and their funders must resist the temptation to cut corners in getting markers to market.


Acknowledgments

The author is grateful for the helpful comments of the referees.


References


Barendse W, Armitage SM, Kossarek LM, Shalom A, Kirkpatrick BW , et al . (1994) A genetic linkage map of the bovine genome. Nature Genetics 6, 227–235.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | (verified 10 February 2006)

Dunlop AA (1951) Type differences in blood antigens in a Guernsey herd. Journal of Dairy Science 34, 156–166. open url image1

Harris H (1966) Enzyme polymorphisms in man. Proceedings of the Royal Society Series B Biological Sciences 164, 298–310. open url image1

Hawken RJ, Barris WC, McWilliam SM, Dalrymple BP (2004) An interactive bovine in silico SNP database (IBISS). Mammalian Genome 15, 819–827.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Hayes B, Goddard ME (2001) The distribution of the effects of genes affecting quantitative traits in livestock. Genetics, Selection, Evolution. 33, 209–229.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hubby JL, Lewontin RC (1966) A molecular approach to the study of genic heterozygosity in natural populations. I. The number of alleles at different loci in Drosophila pseudoobscura. Genetics 54, 577–594.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Khatkar MS, Thomson PC, Tammen I, Raadsma HW (2004) Quantitative trait loci mapping in dairy cattle: review and meta-analysis. Genetics, Selection, Evolution. 36, 163–190.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Neimann-Sorensen A, Robertson A (1961) The association between blood groups and several production characteristics in three Danish cattle breeds. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 11, 163–196. open url image1

Rendel J (1959) A study on relationships between blood groups and production characters in cattle. In ‘Proceedings of the 6th International Congress of Blood Group Research in Animals’. pp. 8–23. (Munich)

Rendel J (1961) Relationships between blood groups and the fat percentage of the milk in cattle. Nature 189, 408–409.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Robertson A (1961) Reviews of the progress of dairy science. Section A. Physiology: Genetics of dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 28, 195–207. open url image1

Robertson A (1967) Animal breeding. Annual Review of Genetics 1, 295–312.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Saiki RK, Scharf S, Faloona F, Mullis KB, Horn GT, Erlich HA, Arnheim N (1985) Enzymatic amplification of beta-globin genomic sequences and restriction site analysis for diagnosis of sickle cell anemia. Science 230, 1350–1354.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Snelling W, Gautier M, Keele JW, Smith TPL, Stone RT , et al . (2004) Integrating linkage and radiation hybrid mapping data for bovine chromosome 15. BMC Genomics 5, 77.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Thoday JM (1961) Location of polygenes. Nature 191, 368–370. open url image1

Weber JL, May PE (1989) Abundant class of human DNA polymorphisms which can be typed using the polymerase chain reaction. American Journal of Human Genetics 44, 388–396.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Womack JE (1984) Gene map of the cow (Bos taurus, 2N = 60). In ‘Genetic Maps’. (Ed. SJ O’Brien) p. 401. (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: Cold Spring Harbor)

Womack JE (1987) Gene map of the cow (Bos Taurus, 2N = 60). In ‘Genetics Maps’. (Ed. SJ O’Brien) pp. 489–501. (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: Cold Spring Harbor)

Womack JE, Johnson JS, Owens EK, Rexroad CE, Schlapfer J, Yang YP (1997) A whole-genome radiation hybrid panel for bovine gene mapping. Mammalian Genome 8, 854–856.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1