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Estimation of genetic variation in A9-desaturase enzyme activity in dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

M.D. Royal  and
P.C. Garnsworthy
M.D. Royal*
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE1 2 5RD, U.K. Dept. Vet. Clin. Sci, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, South Wirral, CH64 7TE, U.K.
P.C. Garnsworthy*
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE1 2 5RD, U.K.
*
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
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Extract

The ▵9-desaturase enzyme adds a cis-9 double bond to fatty acids in adipose and mammary tissue. In the mammary gland, this reaction converts C14:0 to C14:1, C16:0 to C16:1, C18:0 to cis-9 C18:1 (oleic acid), and trans- 11 C18:1(vaccenic acid) to cis-9, trans- 11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Oleic acid is of interest in human nutrition as a component of the “Mediterranean diet” and CLA has been shown to have numerous health benefits. Conversion of vaccenic acid to CLA in the mammary gland accounts for 75-80% of CLA found in milk (Lock and Garnsworthy, 2002), but activity of the Δ9-desaturase enzyme varies among individual cows irrespective of dietary manipulations (Lock and Garnsworthy, 2003), suggesting that it may have a genetic component. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic variation in Δ9-desaturase activity in dairy cows using milk fatty acid profiles.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 2005 , 2005 , pp. 52
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2005

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References

Feng, S., Lock, A.L. and Garnsworthy, P.C. (2004) A rapid lipid separation method for determining fatty acid composition of milk. J. Dairy Sci. 87: 3785–3788.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lock, A.L. and Garnsworthy, P.C. (2002). Independent effects of dietary linoleic and linolenic fatty acids on the conjugated linoleic acid content of cows’ milk. Anim. Sci. 74: 163–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lock, A.L. and Garnsworthy, P.C. (2003). Seasonal variation in conjugated linoleic acid and A9-desaturase activity in dairy cows. Livest. Prod. Sci. 79: 47–59.CrossRefGoogle Scholar