Plant & Animal Genomes XVII Conference

January 10-14, 2009
Town & Country Convention Center
San Diego, CA

Molecular Genetics Of Beef Fat Colour

Rugang Tian¹ , Wayne S. Pitchford¹ , Chris A. Morris² , Neil G. Cullen² , Cynthia D. K. Bottema¹

¹  G07 Hickinbotham building, University of Adelaide Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, SA 5371 Australia

²  AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, PB 3123, Hamilton, New Zealand

Fat colour is one of the most important beef quality criteria. Beef with yellow fat cost Australian cattle producers approximately $18 million annually as very yellow carcasses are rejected from export markets. Yellow fat is caused by the accumulation of â-carotene in adipose tissue, and this deposition appears to be under genetic control. The objectives of this project are to identify genes controlling beef fat colour and determine the mode of inheritance. Candidate genes were selected based on QTL mapping data and their roles in â-carotene metabolism. The candidate genes included BCMO1, BCDO2, RARA, SCRB1, PPARGC1A and APOM. These genes were sequenced to find single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the SNPs then genotyped in a cattle mapping population to determine if the genes affect fat colour. A functional SNP, which creates a stop codon in BCDO2 gene, was found. Association studies indicate that, while this SNP has a large effect on fat colour in cattle, other genes are also likely to be involved.