 Media Release
July 2005
Cow maps point the way to trait treasures
Scientists from the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Innovative Dairy Products have created an integrated 'map' of each cattle chromosome, incorporating a vast amount of data from world-wide sources. These maps will significantly accelerate the process of discovering genes of importance to the dairy industry including those that control production traits, disease resistance, reproduction and bioactives in milk.
These maps are remarkably versatile: they enable the CRC team to draw on gene databases of humans, mice and other farm animals to pinpoint areas on chromosomes highly likely to be prospective for the dairy industry. The maps have also been used to identify special parts of chromosomes for closer examination in order to locate genetic markers for particular traits.
Over the last decade, an enormous international effort has produced numerous chromosome maps from different populations of cattle, containing a vast array of information about cattle genes and markers.
"In order for the dairy industry to fully capture the fruits of the genomics revolution, it is essential to have the most detailed possible map of each cattle chromosome - a map that combines all available information from all available maps into a single map for each chromosome," said Project Leader Professor Frank Nicholas from the University of Sydney.
These maps are being used for discovering the genetic basis for particular traits of economic important to farmers, and genetic markers that indicate which animals are most likely to produce offspring with those traits. Genetic tests can then indicate which animals should be raised and bred, leading to faster genetic progress for the Australian dairy herd.
To develop these maps, the CRC joined forces with Dr Andy Collins, a geneticist from the University of Southampton in England. He and his colleagues developed a strategy and computer tools for creating a single map of each human chromosome back in the early 1990s, when knowledge of the human genome was at the same stage as knowledge of the cattle genome is now.
By adapting and extending Dr Collins' strategy and applying new computer tools, the CRC team has created the most comprehensive high utility map of each cattle chromosome in the world. The maps comprise 10,340 genes and markers across all 31 cattle chromosomes - these define the hotspots where genetic treasures may be hidden.
The public version of these maps can be viewed at http://medvet.angis.org.au/ldb/
These new maps will also be of great assistance in extracting information from the US-based Bovine Genome Project as it becomes available.
"This is the era of 'big science'", said Dr Paul Donnelly, Chief Executive Officer of the CRC.
"People from wide-ranging disciplines with different capabilities, working together across institutes, using high-end computer power and all focused on the same goals and outcomes have significantly accelerated this research effort. This project and its results epitomize what a CRC can achieve."
Media enquiries: Gabrielle Sheehan, Dairy CRC (03) 9607 8608 or 0409 945 001
For a PDF version of this media release, click here.
Should you have any further questions, click here to email the Dairy CRC.
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