Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T18:05:41.090Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Confirmation of two quantitative trait loci regions for nematode resistance in commercial British terminal sire breeds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2011

O. Matika ,
R. Pong-Wong ,
J. A. Woolliams  and
S. C. Bishop
O. Matika*
Affiliation:
The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
R. Pong-Wong
Affiliation:
The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
J. A. Woolliams
Affiliation:
The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
S. C. Bishop
Affiliation:
The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Sheep internal parasites (nematodes) remain a major health challenge and are costly for pasture-based production systems. Most current breeding programmes for nematode resistance are based on indicator traits such as faecal egg counts (FEC), which are costly and laborious to collect. Hence, genetic markers for resistance would be advantageous. However, although some quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been identified, these QTL are often not consistent across breeds and few breeding strategies for nematode resistance in sheep are currently using molecular information. In this study, QTL for nematode resistance on ovine chromosomes (OAR) 3 and 14, previously identified in the Blackface breed, were explored using commercial Suffolk (n = 336) and Texel lambs (n = 879) sampled from terminal sire breeder flocks in the United Kingdom. FEC were used as the indicator trait for nematode resistance, and these were counted separately for Nematodirus and Strongyles genera. Microsatellite markers were used to map the QTL and the data were analysed using interval mapping regression techniques and variance component analysis. QTL for Nematodirus and Strongyles FEC were found to be segregating on OAR3 at 5% chromosome region-wide significance threshold in both Suffolk and Texel sheep, and Nematodirus FEC QTL were segregating on OAR14 in both breeds. In addition, QTL for growth traits were also found to be segregating at 5% chromosome region-wide on OAR3 and OAR14. The confirmation that FEC QTL segregate in the same position in three widely used breeds widens their potential applicability to purebred Blackface, Suffolk and Texel sheep, with benefits likely to be observed in their commercial crossbred progeny.

Keywords

nematode resistancequantitative trait locilambsTexelSuffolk
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 5 , Issue 8 , August 2011 , pp. 1149 - 1156
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beh, KJ, Callaghan, MJ, Hulme, DJ, Leish, Z, Diienno, K, Lenane, I 1998. A search for genes affecting gastrointestinal parasite resistance in sheep. Animal Genetics 29, 67 [Originally published in ’Proceedings of 26th International conference on animal genetics, August 9–14, 1998, Auckland, New Zealand, pp. 102–103].Google Scholar
Beh, KJ, Hulme, DJ, Callaghan, MJ, Leish, Z, Lenane, I, Windon, RG Maddox, JF 2002. A genome scan for quantitative trait loci affecting resistance to Trichostrongylus colubriformis in sheep. Animal Genetics 33, 97–106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beraldi, D, McRae, AF, Gratten, J, Pilkington, JG, Slate, J, Visscher, PM, Pemberton, JM 2007. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of resistance to strongyles and coccidia in the free-living Soay sheep (Ovis aries). International Journal for Parasitology 37, 121–129.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bishop, SC, Stear, MJ 2001. Inheritance of faecal egg counts during early lactation in Scottish Blackface ewes facing mixed, natural nematode infections. Animal Science 73, 389–395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bishop, SC, Stear, MJ 2003. Modeling of host genetics and resistance to infectious diseases: understanding and controlling nematode infections. Veterinary Parasitology 115, 147–166.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bishop, SC, Jackson, F, Coop, RL, Stear, MJ 2004. Genetic parameters for resistance to nematode infections in Texel lambs and their utility in breeding programmes. Animal Science 78, 185–194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buitkamp, J, Feichtlbauer-Huber, P, Stear, MJ 1999. Association between MHC class II alleles and resistance to the parasitic nematode Ostertagia circumcincta. Archiv Fur Tierzucht-Archives of Animal Breeding 42, 11–21.Google Scholar
Charon, KM, Moskwa, B, Rutkowski, R, Gruszczynska, J, Swiderek, W 2002. Microsatellite polymorphism in DRB 1 gene (MHC class II) and its relation to nematode faecal egg count in Polish Heath Sheep. Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences 11, 47–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Churchill, GA, Doerge, RW 1994. Empirical threshold values for quantitative trait mapping. Genetics 138, 963–971.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coles, GC, Jackson, F, Pomroy, WE, Prichard, RK, von Samson-Himmelstjerna, G, Silvestre, A, Taylor, MA, Vercruysse, J 2006. The detection of anthelmintic resistance in nematodes of veterinary importance. Veterinary Parasitology 136, 167–185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coltman, DW, Wilson, K, Pilkington, JG, Stear, MJ, Pemberton, JM 2001. A microsatellite polymorphism in the gamma interferon gene is associated with resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes in a naturally-parasitized population of Soay sheep. Parasitology 122, 571–582.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crawford, AM, Paterson, KA, Dodds, KG, Tascon, CD, Williamson, PA, Thomson, MR, Bisset, SA, Beattie, AE, Greer, GJ, Green, RS, Wheeler, R, Shaw, RJ, Knowler, K, McEwan, JC 2006. Discovery of quantitative trait loci for resistance to parasitic nematode infection in sheep: I. Analysis of outcross pedigrees. BMC Genomics 7, 178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, G, Stear, MJ, Benothman, M, Abuagob, O, Kerr, A, Mitchell, S, Bishop, SC 2006. Quantitative trait loci associated with parasitic infection in Scottish blackface sheep. Heredity 96, 252–258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Falconer, DS, Mackay, TFC 1997. Introduction to quantitative genetics. Longman Press Harlow, Essex, UK.Google Scholar
Gardner, KM, Latta, RG 2007. Shared quantitative trait loci underlying the genetic correlation between continuous traits. Molecular Ecology 16, 4195–4209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilmour, AR, Gogel, BJ, Cullis, BR, Thompson, R 2009. ASReml user guide release 3.0. VSN International Ltd, Hemel Hempstead, UK.Google Scholar
Green, P, Falls, K, Crooks, S 1990. Cri-map version 2.4. Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.Google Scholar
Gutierrez-Gil, B, Perez, J, Alvarez, L, Martinez-Valladares, M, de la Fuente, LF, Bayon, Y, Meana, A, San Primitivo, F, Rojo-Vazquez, FA, Arranz, JJ 2009. Quantitative trait loci for resistance to trichostrongylid infection in Spanish Churra sheep. Genetics Selection Evolution 41, 46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heath, SC 1997. Markov chain Monte Carlo segregation and linkage analysis for oligogenic models. American Journal of Human Genetics 61, 748–760.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jann, OC, King, A, Corrales, NL, Anderson, SI, Jensen, K, Ait-ali, T, Tang, HZ, Wu, CH, Cockett, NE, Archibald, AL, Glass, EJ 2009. Comparative genomics of Toll-like receptor signalling in five species. BMC Genomics 10, 216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knott, SA, Elsen, JM, Haley, CS 1996. Methods for multiple-marker mapping of quantitative trait loci in half-sib populations. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 93, 71–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matika, O, Sechi, S, Pong-Wong, R, Houston, RD, Clop, A, Woolliams, JA, Bishop, SC 2010. Characterization of OAR1 and OAR18 QTL associated with muscle depth in British commercial terminal sire sheep. Animal Genetics, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2010.02121.x.Google ScholarPubMed
McCoy, MA, Edgar, HWJ, Kenny, J, Gordon, AW, Dawson, LER, Carson, AF 2005. Evaluation of on-farm faecal worm egg counting in sheep. Veterinary Record 156, 21–23.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McKenna, PB 1981. The diagnostic-value and interpretation of fecal egg counts in sheep. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 29, 129–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morris, CA, Bisset, SA, Vlassoff, A, West, CJ, Wheeler, M 2004. Genetic parameters for Nematodirus spp. egg counts in Romney lambs in New Zealand. Animal Science 79, 33–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nieuwhof, GJ, Bishop, SC 2005. Costs of the major endemic diseases of sheep in Great Britain and the potential benefits of reduction in disease impact. Animal Science 81, 23–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paterson, KA, McEwan, JC, Dodds, KG, Morris, CA, Crawford, AM 2001. Fine mapping a locus affecting host resistance to internal parasites in sheep. Proceedings of Association for the Advancement of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 14, 91–94.Google Scholar
Seaton, G, Hernandez, J, Grunchec, JA, White, I, Allen, J, De Koning, DJ, Wei, W, Berry, D, Haley, C, Knott, S 2006. GridQTL: A Grid Portal for QTL Mapping of Compute Intensive Datasets. Proceedings of the 8th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production. 13–18 August, 2006. Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Article 27-07.Google Scholar
Self, SG, Liang, KY 1987. Asymptotic properties of maximum-likelihood estimators and likelihood ratio tests under non standard conditions. Journal of the American Statistical Association 82, 605–610.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stear, MJ, Boag, B, Cattadori, I, Murphy, L 2009. Genetic variation in resistance to mixed, predominantly Teladorsagia circumcincta nematode infections of sheep: from heritabilities to gene identification. Parasite Immunology 31, 274–282.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stear, MJ, Bairden, K, Bishop, SC, Gettinby, G, McKellar, QA, Park, M, Strain, S, Wallace, DS 1998. The processes influencing the distribution of parasitic nematodes among naturally infected lambs. Parasitology 117, 165–171.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Voorrips, RE 2002. MapChart: Software for the graphical presentation of linkage maps and QTLs. Journal of Heredity 93, 77–78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whitlock, HV 1948. Some modifications of the McMaster helmninth egg-counting technique and apparatus. Journal of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Australia 21, 177–180.Google Scholar
Wolf, BT, Howells, K, Nakielny, C, Haresign, W, Lewis, RM, Davies, O, Davies, MH 2008. Genetic parameters for strongyle and Nematodirus faecal egg counts in lambs and their relationships with performance traits. Livestock Science 113, 209–217.CrossRefGoogle Scholar