The cattle industry could see revolutionary genetic selection based on a recent study.
The research concluded that cattle have CoRSIVs which are essentially chemical markers on genes that can be linked to specific traits. These features are expressed physically in cattle like productivity, female fertility, and even heat tolerance.
These markers were identified in people nearly five years ago and exposed the link of certain genetic traits to those with Type 2 diabetes, autism spectrum disorder, and even cancer. The discovery has led to further studies exploring how the expression of genes is tied back to gene markers.
Scientists from Baylor College of Medicine, Cornell, and the USDA applied that knowledge to cattle where they used tissue samples from 20 Holstien calves and detected the presence of CoRSIVs (DNA markings).
Researchers are hopeful that the discovery will allow production management decisions in the future to be based on genetic data and identify potential risks before they are expressed.
Read Baylor College of Medicine’s study report here https://www.bcm.edu/news/corsivs-first-discovered-in-humans-now-found-in-cattle#:~:text=CoRSIVs%20are%20regions%20of%20the,fertility%20and%20resistance%20to%20disease.
