Updates on Genetic Markers

Abstract

In Australia beef cattle genetic research in three Beef CRCs has received large financial support during the last 15 years to identify genetic markers which can explain part of the genetic variation for economically important traits. The early enthusiasm and claims of great success has given way to a more sombre view that many more genes than originally thought are involved in most quantitative traits and the number of genes with large effects are few. Our colleagues overseas have made the same experience. For the last 10 years commercial companies offered various DNA test starting with a single marker for marbling to panels with dozens of markers and more traits. The latest commercially available test in Australia from Pfizer Animal Genetics has 56 markers for three traits, Marbling, Tenderness and Net Feed Intake. During these 15 years the development of DNA technology has been extraordinary. At the beginning the cost for one marker was counted in dollars per sample today it is in fractions of cents. This development already has a big impact on current and future research and commercialisation of DNA marker technology. In this paper I briefly describe the results from studies during the last two years at AGBU in cooperation with Catapult Genetics and the Beef CRC and express my views were we might be heading in the use of genotype information in the Australian beef industry.