| Grant number: | 08/11363-9 |
| Support type: | Regular Research Grants |
| Duration: | May 01, 2009 - April 30, 2011 |
| Field of knowledge: | Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Genetics and Improvement of Domestic Animals |
| Principal researcher: | José Bento Sterman Ferraz |
| Grantee: | José Bento Sterman Ferraz |
| Home Institution: | Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil |
Abstract
Residual feed intake (RFI) has been the prefered method to measure feed efficiency in beef cattle because it is irrespetive of variation in mature weight and growth rate. Because measuring RFI is expensive and laborious, marker-assisted selection may be employed as an additional tool to identify more efficient cattle. However, there is a lack of investigations evaluating associations between molecular markers and RFI in zebu cattle. Polymorphisms in genes that regulate intracellular protein metabolism are candidate markers for this trait. In this way, this study will aim to evaluate associations between RFI and polymorphisms in genes related to protein degradation and synthesis in Nellore cattle. Measuremments of feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion, partial efficiency of growth and residual feed intake will be obtained of about 400 Nellore steers and bulls. Animals will be genotyped for 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms using real time PCR and TaqMan gene expression assays. Estimatives of SNP alelle frequency, heteregosity, additive, dominant and substitution effects and genotypes least square means will be calculated. (AU)