Weight Gain and Tenderness in Nelore Cattle: Genetic Association and a Potential Pleiotropic Role of Transcription Factors and Genes
2025
Elora R. P. de S. Borges | Lucio F. M. Mota | Lucas L. Verardo | Lucia G. de Albuquerque | Marcela R. Duarte | Geovana C. Santos | Alice S. Pereira | Lorena M. P. de Carvalho | Lilia S. Carvalho | Emily A. R. Almeida | Ana F. B. Magalhães
The inclusion of meat quality traits in breeding programs is a promising strategy to improve beef by selecting animals based on both growth and meat quality. This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters for average daily gain (ADG) and Warner&ndash:Bratzler shear force (WBSF), as well as to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genomic regions and transcription factor (TF) binding sites associated with both traits in Nelore cattle. Genetic parameters were estimated using a bi-trait Bayesian model, and GWAS identified key SNPs explaining over 1% of variance in genomic estimated breeding values. Candidate genes near these SNPs were annotated, TF binding sites predicted, and gene&ndash:TF networks constructed. Genetic estimates indicated moderate heritability for ADG, low heritability for WBSF, and a small negative genetic correlation between traits. Genomic regions contained 116 and 151 candidate genes for ADG and WBSF, respectively, with 35 shared between traits. Functional analyses highlighted MYBPC1 and PENK for WBSF, and GHRS and NPY for ADG. TF analysis identified 25 TFs, with 3 key ones highlighted. Gene&ndash:TF networks revealed candidates including CAPN1 and LTBP3 for WBSF, and CARM1 and GH1 for ADG. Shared candidate genes identified in the combined network provide valuable insights into the genetic architecture of growth and tenderness in Nelore cattle.
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