A search for environmentally dependent SNPs affecting sexual precocity indicators in Nellore cattle

• Grant number: 24/18034-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Genetics and Improvement of Domestic Animals
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Sebastián Baldi Rey
• Grantee: Eduarda da Silva Oliveira
• Supervisor: Hinayah Rojas de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Purdue University, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/04673-4 - Exploring the use of genomic information in multi-character norm of reaction models to assess genotype-environment interaction in traits indicative of sexual precocity in Nelore cattle., BP.MS

Abstract

Rising global temperatures may interfere with the phenotypic expression of beef cattle. This change in the potential of animals in different environments results in genotype-environment interactions. Reproductive traits are strongly influenced by non-genetic factors, including environmental ones. Studies involving reaction norms and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are being used to investigate genes involved in the physiological adaptation of animals to different environments. Therefore, this project aims to conduct GWAS analyses based on the coefficients resulting from reaction norms, in order to identify possible genes involved in different phenotypic expressions in different environments. Data provided by the National Association of Breeders and Researchers (ANCP) will be analyzed for the traits early calving probability (HC30), scrotal circumference at 365 days (SC365) and age at male puberty (APM), with approximately 200,000, 500,000 and 25,000 phenotypic observations, respectively. GWAS analyses will be conducted for intercept and slope effects. This project is expected to yield groundbreaking results for traits recently explored in the field, providing insights into significant SNPs and candidate genes related to the studied traits. This may offer relevant contributions to the genomic selection of animals better adapted to environmental changes.