Mapped from end to end, the first complete bovine genetic sequence has been publicly released to researchers worldwide.
Scientists from across the globe contributed to the $63 million project that mapped the three billion base pairs of DNA that contribute to construction of a Hereford.
The complete genetic picture is expected to advance agricultural production research into areas such as feed efficiency, disease resistance and meat quality. Genetic traceability is also high on livestock scientists’ agendas for followup from the bovine genome sequencing project.
The project was led by Richard Gibbs of the Baylor College of Medicine’s human genome sequencing project in Houston, Texas.
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Work is also under way to expand the model using full-length DNA sequencing by the University of British Columbia’s Cancer Research Centre in Vancouver. The other Canadian partner is Genome Canada.
Begun in December 2003, the project is continuing with partial sequencing of Holstein, Angus, Jersey, Limousin, Norwegian Red and Brahman cattle breeds, and is expected to be completed by 2005. At that time various breed traits can be compared at the genetic level.
Researchers say that what has been learned in the process will contribute to the genetic mapping and disease research of another large mammal, the human.
