• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.468-474
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• 2006

Real time ultrasound data was generated on 10,596 live Hanwoo cows to study genetic variation on ultrasonic beef quality traits and to assess the best model to estimate genetic parameters on these traits. Pedigree stacking and data validation was done using the SAS statistical software and the genetic parameter estimates were obtained by EM-REML algorithm. Out of the five different multi-trait mixed animal models constructed, the optimal model included fixed effects of herd, year-season-appraisal, body condition score, linear and quadratic covariates for chest girth, the linear covariate effect of age and the random animal and residual effect of the five models studied. The heritability of longissimus muscle area (LMA), $12^{th}$ rib measurement of back fat thickness (BF) and marbling score (MS) was 0.11, 0.17 and 0.15, respectively. Genetic correlation of LMA vs. BF, LMA vs. MS and BF vs. MS was -0.15, 0.06 and 0.61, respectively. The results showed presence of genetic variation in these ultrasonic beef quality traits in Hanwoo cows and suggest that the selection of Hanwoo cows may be possible by performing ultrasonic scans on live animals, which will ultimately be helpful in reducing the generation interval and the cost of selection procedure.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.506-510
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• 1999

A study was made of the effects of genetic and environmental factors on ultrasonic estimates of carcass traits of Japanese Brown cows. The M. longissimus thoracis area (MLTA), Subcutaneous (SFT) and Inter Muscular (IMFT) Fat Thickness, Rib Thickness (RT) and Beef Marbling Score (BMS) were scanned at the $7^th$ rib by ultrasound. Significant differences between sires, raising place, birth year and season were found for all traits. The heritabilities estimates for sire or Maternal Grand Sire (MGS) on ultrasonic estimates of carcass traits ranged from 0.05~0.14. Genetic and phenotypic correlations among the ultrasonic estimates were positive (0.13~0.88 and 0.24~0.75). Raising place effects were significant for all traits and the differences were between $30.8{\sim}33.5cm^2$ for MLTA and 0.46~0.67 for BMS. Cows born in 1988 tended to have high MLTA, SFT, IMFT and RT but low BMS. Cows born in spring tended to have high MLTA. Cows born in winter or autumn tended to have high BMS. The interaction effects of birth year with birth season were significant for both. MLTA and BMS.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1504-1513
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• 2011

It is important to identify genetic interactions related to human diseases or animal traits. Many linear statistical models have been reported but they did not consider genetic interactions. Genotype matrix mapping (GMM) has been developed to identify genetic interactions. This study uses the GMM method to detect superior SNP combinations of the CCDC158 gene that influences average daily gain, marbling score, cold carcass weight and longissimus muscle dorsi area traits in Hanwoo. We evaluated the statistical significance of the major SNP combinations selected by implementing the permutation test of the F-measure. The effect of g.34425+102 A>T (AA), g.8778G>A (GG) and g.4102+36T>G (GT) SNP combinations produced higher performance of average daily gain, marbling score, cold carcass weight and the longissimus muscle dorsi area traits than the effect of a single SNP. GMM is a fast and reliable method for multiple SNP analysis with potential application in marker-assisted selection. GMM may prospectively be used for genetic assessment of quantitative traits after further development.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1061-1065
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• 2015

Data collected from 690 purebred Duroc pigs from 2009 to 2012 were used to estimate the heritability, and genetic and phenotypic correlations between production and meat quality traits. Variance components were obtained through the restricted maximum likelihood procedure using Wombat and SAS version 9.0. Animals were raised under the same management in five different breeding farms. The average daily gain, loin muscle area (LMA), backfat thickness (BF), and lean percent (LP) were measured as production traits. Meat quality traits included pH, cooking loss, lightness ($L^*$), redness ($a^*$), yellowness ($b^*$), marbling score (MS), moisture content (MC), water holding capacity (WHC), and shear force. The results showed that the heritability estimates for meat quality traits varied largely from 0.19 to 0.79. Production traits were moderate to highly heritable from 0.41 to 0.73. Genotypically, the BF was positively correlated (p<0.05) with MC (0.786), WHC (0.904), and pH (0.328) but negatively correlated with shear force (-0.533). The results of genetic correlations indicated that selection for less BF could decrease pH, moisture content, and WHC and increase the shear force of meat. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was recorded between average daily gain and WHC, which indicates pork from faster-growing animals has higher WHC. Furthermore, selection for larger LMA and LP could increase MS and lightness color of meat. The meat quality and production traits could be improved simultaneously if desired. Hence, to avoid further deterioration of pork characteristics, appropriate selection of traits should be considered.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.782-787
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• 2015

The myogenic regulatory factors is a family of transcription factors that play a key role in the development of skeletal muscle fibers, which are the main factors to affect the meat taste and texture. In the present study, we performed candidate gene analysis to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the MyoD, Myf5, MyoG, and Mrf4 genes using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism in 360 Erlang Mountain Chickens from three different housing systems (cage, pen, and free-range). The general linear model procedure was used to estimate the statistical significance of association between combined genotypes and muscle fiber traits of chickens. Two polymorphisms (g.39928301T>G and g.11579368C>T) were detected in the Mrf4 and MyoD gene, respectively. The diameters of thigh and pectoralis muscle fibers were higher in birds with the combined genotypes of GG-TT and TTCT (p<0.05). Moreover, the interaction between housing system and combined genotypes has no significant effect on the traits of muscle fiber (p>0.05). Our findings suggest that the combined genotypes of TT-CT and GG-TT might be advantageous for muscle fiber traits, and could be the potential genetic markers for breeding program in Erlang Mountain Chickens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.1813-1821
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• 2002

The aim of this study was to identify useful secondary traits for estimating genetic ability of milk production traits. We investigated the value of using plasma metabolites concentrations. Two hundred and nineteen cattle out of 271 had only milk production traits records (G1), 33 had only metabolites records (G2), and 19 had both milk production traits and metabolites records (G3). Fifty two calves with metabolites records (G2 and G3) were born from 1992 to 1997. Forty three calves (29 females, 14 males) were used from 10 to 90 d of age and the others (3 females, 6 males) from 10 to 60 d of age. A total of 566 records of milk yield, fat yield and protein yield for 240 to 305 d on 238 heads (G1 and G2) were collected The collected blood samples were divided into three age groups: AG1, 10 to 30 d; AG2, 40 to 60 d; and AG3, 70 to 90 d. Heritabilities of milk yield, fat yield and protein yield were $0.45{\pm}0.04$, $0.50{\pm}0.04$ and $0.38{\pm}0.04$, respectively. Heritability of plasma glucose concentration at AG1 was $0.45{\pm}0.08$. Genetic correlations between plasma glucose concentration and milk yield, fat yield and protein yield were -$0.35{\pm}0.28$, $0.64{\pm}0.24$ and $0.36{\pm}0.35$, respectively. When the plasma glucose concentration at AG1 was used to estimate genetic ability of these milk production traits, reliability of milk yield of animals without milk record increased 8.2%, fat yield increased 24.2% and protein yield increased 9.5%. Heritability of plasma total cholesterol concentration at AG3 was $0.83{\pm}0.04$. Genetic correlation between plasma total cholesterol concentration and milk yield, fat yield and protein yield were $0.58{\pm}0.21$, $0.42{\pm}0.20$ and $0.45{\pm}0.22$, respectively. When the plasma total cholesterol concentration at AG3 was using to estimate genetic ability of these milk production traits, reliability of milk yield of animals without milk record increased 19.0%, fat yield increased 9.6%, and protein yield increased 13.5%. The annual genetic gain is in proportion to the reliability of selection. These results show that the plasma metabolite concentrations would be useful for improvement of genetic ability for milk production traits in the genetic improvement in herd of cows, where half of the animals selected are from a herd without its own milk record.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.425-430
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• 2012

The southwestern Australian frog Crinia georgiana (Anura; Myobatrachidae) inhabits ephemeral pools in which the tadpoles often face desiccation. Under these conditions selection on tadpoles can be severe and can directly affect fitness during the aquatic as well as the terrestrial developmental stages. A quantitative genetic study using a half-sib breeding design was conducted to understand the genetic effects on larval life-history traits. We found no significant additive genetic variance in any of larval traits. Except for hatching period, heritability estimates based on females were high in egg size, larval period, snout-vent length, and weight at metamorphosis, suggesting non-additive genetic effects. These results indicate that any response to selection during hatching and larval periods should be predominately governed by non-additive genetic effects in C. georgiana.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.769-774
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• 2006

Fractions of herd-year-season, sire by herd interaction, additive genetic and dominance genetic variances were estimated for milk production traits in Holsteins of Japan using Method R. Inbreeding depressions for milk production traits were also estimated. Estimated fractions of herd-year-season variances ranged from 0.056 to 0.074 for yield traits and from 0.033 to 0.035 for content traits. Estimated fractions of additive genetic variances to phenotypic variances (heritabilities across a herd in the narrow sense) were 0.306, 0.287, 0.273, 0.255, 0.723, 0.697 and 0.663 for milk, fat, SNF and protein yields, and fat, SNF and protein contents, respectively. Estimated fractions of dominance genetic variances ranged from 0.019 to 0.022 for yield traits and from 0.014 to 0.018 for content traits. Fractions of variances for sire by herd interaction were estimated to range from 0.020 to 0.025 for yield traits and 0.011 to 0.012 for content traits. Estimates of inbreeding depression for milk, fat, SNF and protein yields were -36.16 kg, -1.42 kg, -3.24 kg and -1.15 kg per 1% inbreeding for milk, fat, SNF and protein yields, respectively. Estimates of depression per 1% inbreeding for content traits were positive at $0.39{\times}10^{-3}%$, $0.31{\times}10^{-3}%$ and $0.82{\times}10^{-3}%$ for fat, SNF and protein contents, respectively.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.967-974
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• 2021

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic correlation (rpc) of growth performance between purebred (Duroc and Korean native) and synthetic (WooriHeukDon) pigs using a single-step method. Methods: Phenotypes of 15,902 pigs with genotyped data from 1,792 pigs from a nucleus farm were used for this study. We estimated the rpc of several performance traits between WooriHeukDon and purebred pigs: day of target weight (DAY), backfat thickness (BF), feed conversion rate (FCR), and residual feed intake (RFI). The variances and covariances of the studied traits were estimated by an animal multi-trait model that applied the Bayesian inference. Results: rpc within traits was lower than 0.1 for DAY and BF, but high for FCR and RFI; in particular, rpc for RFI between Duroc and WooriHeukDon pigs was nearly 1. Comparison between different traits revealed that RFI in Duroc pigs was associated with different traits in WooriHeukDon pigs. However, the most of rpc between different traits were estimated with low or with high standard deviation. Conclusion: The results indicated that there were substantial differences in rpc of traits in the synthetic WooriHeukDon pigs, which could be caused by these pigs having a more complex origin than other crossbred pigs. RFI was strongly correlated between Duroc and WooriHeukDon pigs, and these breeds might have similar single nucleotide polymorphism effects that control RFI. RFI is more essential for metabolism than other growth traits and these metabolic characteristics in purebred pigs, such as nutrient utilization, could significantly affect those in synthetic pigs. The findings of this study can be used to elucidate the genetic architecture of crossbred pigs and help develop new breeds with target traits.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.747-753
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• 2001

In this study, the Italian milk recorded buffalo population from 1974 to 1996 was analysed with the purpose to estimate genetic and environmental variability and provide genetic parameters for the most important economic traits. High variability between herds was evident due to the poor knowledge of feeding requirements and husbandry technology in this species compared to cattle. Age at first calving was reduced by 57 days during the considered years following efforts made in better feeding and management from 1990; on the contrary, calving interval has increased by 17 days as a consequence of forcing buffaloes to calve in spring, in order to have the peak milk yield when milk is much better paid. Average milk yield increased by 1853 kg during these years, while lactation duration was reduced by 30 days. Season of calving has no effect on all traits. Calving order has a positive effect on milk yield especially because older cows produce more milk in shorter lactations. Heritability for the age at first calving and calving interval was 0.26 and 0.05 respectively. Heritability of productive traits, milk yield and duration of the lactation was 0.19 and 0.13 respectively, with repeatabilities of 0.40 and 0.26. Genetic trend for milk yield was 2.1 kg milk/year for the bulls and 1 kg for all population. The high genetic variability of milk production as well as duration of the lactation, indicates that there are good opportunities for genetic improvement when including these traits in a selection scheme. The low genetic trend registered over 15 years of recording activity can be explained by the fact that neither progeny testing was performed or selection schemes were implemented, due to the difficulties to use artificial insemination in buffalo.