The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters and to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for predicted methane-related traits in Japanese Black steers. The methane production and yield traits were predicted using on-farm measurable traits, such as dry matter intake and average daily gain. A total of 4,578 Japanese Black steers, which were progenies of 362 sires genotyped with imputed 551,995 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), had phenotypes of predicted methane-related traits during the total fattening period (52 weeks). For the estimation of genetic parameters, the estimated heritabilities were moderate (ranged from 0.57 to 0.60). In addition, the estimated genetic correlations of methane production traits with most of carcass traits and feed-efficiency traits were unfavorable, but those of methane yield traits were favorable or low. For the GWAS, no genome-wide significant SNP was detected, but a total of four quantitative trait locus (QTL) regions that explained more than 5.0% of genetic variance were localized on the genome, and some candidate genes associated with growth and feed-efficiency traits were located on the regions. Our results suggest that the predicted methane-related traits are heritable and some QTL regions for the traits are localized on the genome in Japanese Black steers.

中文翻译：

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日本黑牛预测的甲烷相关性状的遗传和基因组分析。

本研究的目的是估计遗传参数并对日本黑阉牛中预测的甲烷相关性状进行全基因组关联研究 (GWAS)。甲烷产量和产量性状是使用农场可测量的性状预测的，例如干物质摄入量和平均日增重。共有 4,578 头日本黑阉牛，它们是 362 头公牛的后代，其基因分型具有估算的 551,995 个单核苷酸多态性 (SNP)，在整个育肥期（52 周）具有预测的甲烷相关性状的表型。对于遗传参数的估计，估计的遗传力适中（范围从 0.57 到 0.60）。此外，估计的甲烷生产性状与大多数胴体性状和饲料效率性状的遗传相关性是不利的，但甲烷产量性状是有利的或低的。对于 GWAS，没有检测到全基因组显着的 SNP，但共有 4 个解释超过 5.0% 遗传变异的数量性状位点 (QTL) 区域定位在基因组上，以及一些与生长和饲料相关的候选基因。效率特征位于区域。我们的结果表明，预测的甲烷相关性状是可遗传的，并且这些性状的一些 QTL 区域位于日本黑牛的基因组中。