Prime-Time-Winter-2018

DNA Matters Tim Kozelsky | DNA & Data Service Analyst | tkozelsky@akaushi.com AKAUSHI BREED GENET ICS 2 017 has been a banner DNA year for the American equipment. The new test is called single-nucleotide polymorphism

Akaushi Association (AAA)! To date, we have processed more than 19,800 samples. Our previous best year was 2014, when we processed 17,933 samples. There has 1/4 Vertical, 4 color Prime Time Comanche Cattle Company Winter 2018 been a 66 percent increase in the number of members who sent in DNA samples in 2014 compared to the number of members who submitted samples in 2017. So, as you can see, we are very busy with DNA. In 2016, AAA began to convert to a new DNA parentage profile test. This change is being dictated by the DNA industry because vendors are no longer support- ing the original short tandem repeats Comanche Cattle Company Proven Akaushi Genetics Selling registered, full-blood Akaushi cattle through private treaty.

(SNP). The previ- ous DNA method was called short tandem repeats (STR). In a nut- shell, STRs look at the number of times a marker is present in a DNA chain. SNPs look at the actual value

of the marker. Unfortunately, STR and SNP profiles are not compatible. This is why we are asking all members to update the pro- files of animals in their breeding program. There are a number of benefits to con- verting to SNP profiles. SNP testing is the key that truly unlocks the information contained within DNA. First, a typical SNP parentage profile captures the values of more than 85 pairs of markers. STR only measures a maximum of 12 markers. With the additional markers, AAA has a stron- ger DNA tool to determine parentage. How much information is hidden in DNA? Believe it or not, there are more than 3 billion base pairs of alleles in the bo- vine genome. As genomes are mapped and traits associated with specific genes are determined, desirable breeding animals can be selected through SNP DNA instead of purely by expected progeny differences (EPDs) and/or physical expression of the desirable trait. We currently use this technique to deter- mine whether breeding animals are carri- ers or affected concerning the F11 disorder. AAA has partnered with our DNA lab, Neogen/GeneSeek, to create an Akaushi DNA profile, which encompasses more than 150,000 pairs of alleles. Our hope is

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