Short communication: Genetic parameters for milk protein composition predicted using mid-infrared spectroscopy in the French Montbéliarde, Normande, and Holstein dairy cattle breeds

Genetic parameters for the major milk proteins were estimated in the 3 main French dairy cattle breeds (i.e. Montbéliarde, Normande, and Holstein) as part of the PhénoFinlait program. The 6 major milk protein contents as well as the total protein content (PC) were estimated from mid-infrared spectrometry on 133,592 test-day milk samples from 20,434 cows in first lactation. Lactation means, expressed as a percentage of milk (protein contents) or of protein (protein fractions), were analyzed with an animal mixed model including fixed environmental effects (herd, year × month of calving, and spectrometer) and a random genetic effect. Genetic parameter estimates were very consistent across breeds. Heritability estimates (h2) were generally higher for protein fractions than for protein contents. They were moderate to high for αS1-casein, αS2-casein, β-casein, κ-casein, and α-lactalbumin (0.25 < h2 < 0.72). In each breed, β-lactoglobulin was the most heritable trait (0.61 < h2 < 0.86). Genetic correlations (rg) varied depending on how the percentage was expressed. The PC was strongly positively correlated with protein contents but almost genetically independent from protein fractions. Protein fractions were generally in opposition, except between κ-casein and α-lactalbumin (0.39 < rg < 0.46) and κ-casein and αS2-casein (0.36 < rg < 0.49). Between protein contents, rg estimates were positive, with highest values found between caseins (0.83 < rg < 0.98). In the 3 breeds, β-lactoglobulin was negatively correlated with caseins (−0.75 < rg < −0.08), in particular with κ-casein (−0.75 < rg < −0.55). These results, obtained from a large panel of cows of the 3 main French dairy cattle breeds, show that routinely collected mid-infrared spectra could be used to modify milk protein composition by selection.