A systems genetics approach for improving feed efficiency in Nellore cattle

Abstract

The beef cattle industry has a significant role in the production of greenhouse gases. One way to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is selecting animals with high feed efficiency, which consume less food and therefore generate less manure and methane per kilogram of meat produced, improving the productivity and sustainability of beef cattle industry. Although extremely important, this trait in cattle is challenging to be measured in field conditions making it ideal for research of specific molecular pathways responsible for the phenotype. Some studies have been conducted in order to identify causal genes through differential gene expression between individuals divergent for a particular phenotype. Systems genetics is a specialized version of systems biology that aims to clarify, through complex relationships between molecules, the genetic variants that regulate certain traits. Thus, here we aim to apply a systems genetics approach using innovative methods of bioinformatics to our global gene expression data from our experiments on feed efficiency in Nellore cattle. (AU)