A. (Anke) Schennink: “Genes involved in bovine milk-fat composition”

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29 Apr 2009 16:00
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation: Wageningen University
Promotor: prof.dr.ir. J.A.M. van Arendonk (Animal Breeding and Genetics)
Co Promotor: Dr.ir. H. Bovenhuis, Dr.ir. M.H.P.W. Visker

 The composition of milk-fat is important for its nutritional value and for its technological properties. This thesis focuses on the genetic background of the composition of milk-fat. The milk-fat composition differs per cow, and a substantial part of these differences are due to genetics. In this thesis we aimed to identify genes that underlie these genetic differences. Mutations in the genes DGAT1 and SCD1 explain large part of the genetic differences. For example, cows with the one DGAT1 variant have less C16, and more C14 and unsaturated C18 fatty acids in their milk than cows with the other variant. We also performed a so-called genome-wide scan, i.e. we searched the bovine genome for regions that are responsible for differences in milk-fat composition. This resulted in 6 chromosomal regions. The results show that marker-assisted selection is possible to improve the composition of milk-fat.
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