Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

Molecular Markers in the Genetic Improvement of Farm Animals

Abstract

Molecular genetics provides the ability to uncover numerous and versatile genetic markers at the DNA level. At present, the most useful among these are restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). We discuss here the possible applications of these methodologies to the genetic improvement of farms animals.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pirchner, F. 1983. Population Genetics in Animal Breeding. Plenum Press, N.Y.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  2. Simmonds, N.W. 1979. Principles of Crop Improvement. Longmans Co., London.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Falconer, D.S. 1981. Introduction to Quantitative Genetics. 2nd ed. Longmans Co., New York, N.Y.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Mather, K.M. and Jinks, J.L. 1971. Biometrical Genetics. Chapman and Hall, London.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. Geldermann, H. 1975. Investigation on inheritance of quantitative characters in animals by gene markers. I. Methods. Theor. Appl. Genet. 46: 300–319.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Grodzicker, T., Williams, J., Sharp, P. and Sambrook, J. 1974. Physical mapping of temperature-sensitive mutations of adenoviruses. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 39: 439–446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Solomon, E. and Bodmer, W.R. 1979. Evolution of sickle variant gene. Lancet 18122, 923.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Botstein, D., White, R.L., Skolnick, M. and Davis, R.W. 1980. Construction of a genetic linkage map in man using restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 32: 314–331.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Bishop, D. and Skolnick, M.H. 1980. Numerical considerations for linkage studies using polymorphic DNA markers in humans, p. 421–423. Banbury Rep. 4: Cancer incidence in defined populations. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Soller, M. and Beckmann, J.S. 1983. Genetic polymorphism in varietal identification and genetic improvement. Theor. Appl. Genet. 67: 25–33.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Kazazian, H.H. Jr. 1985. Gene probes: Application to prenatal and postnatal diagnosis of genetic disease. Clin. Chem. 31: 1509–1513.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Geever, R.F., Wilson, L.B., Nallaseth, F.S., Milner, P.F., Bittner, M. and Wilson, J.T. 1981. Direct identification of sickle cell anemia by blot hybridization. Proc. Natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78: 5081–5085.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Antonorakis, S.E., Kazazian, H.H. Jr. and Orkin, S.H. 1985. DNA polymorphisms and molecular pathology of the human globin gene clusters. Hum. Genet. 69: 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Little, F.P.R., Annison, G., Darling, S., Williamson, R., Camba, L. and Modell, B. 1980. Model for antenatal diagnosis of β-thalassemia and other monogenic disorders by molecular analysis of linked DNA polymorphisms. Nature 285: 144–149.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Soller, M. and Beckmann, J.S. 1982. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms and genetic improvement. Second World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, (Madrid) 6: 396–404.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Beckmann, J.S. and Soller, M. 1983. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in genetic improvement: methodologies, mapping and costs. Theor. Appl. Genet. 67: 35–43.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Burr, B., Evola, S.V., Burr, F. and Beckmann, J.S. 1983. The application of restriction fragment length polymorphism to plant breeding, p. 45–59. In: Setlow, J. and Hollaender, A. (eds.). Genetic Engineering. Vol. 5. Plenum Press, New York, N.Y.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  18. Tanksley, S.D. 1983. Molecular markers in plant breeding. PL. Mol. Biol. Reptr. 1: 3–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Soller, M. and Beckmann, J.S. 1985. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms and animal genetic improvement. Rev. Rural Sci. 6: 10–18.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Beckmann, J.S. and Soller, M. 1986. Restriction fragment length polymorphism and genetic improvement in agricultural species. Eu-phytica 36: 111–124.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Beckmann, J.S. and Soller, M. 1987. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in plant genetic improvement. Oxford Surveys of Plant Molecular Biology, 3: 196–250.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Lebowitz, R., Soller, M. and Beckmann, J.S. 1987. Marker-based designs for the detection of linkage between a marker locus and a linked quantitative trait locus. Theor. Appl. Genet. 72: 556–562.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Soller, M., Genizi, A. and Brody, T. 1976. On the power of experimental designs for the detection of linkage between marker loci and quantitative loci in crosses between inbred lines. Theor. Appl. Genet. 47: 35–39.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Soller, M. and Genizi, A. 1978. The efficiency of experimental designs for the detection of linkage between a marker locus and a locus affecting a quantitative trait in segregating populations. Biometrics 34: 47–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Kashi, Y., Soller, M., Hallerman, E. and Beckmann, J.S. 1986. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in dairy cattle genetic improvement. Third World Congress Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, Lincoln, NE, U.S.A., 12: 57–63.

  26. Beckmann, J.S., Kashi, Y., Hallerman, E.M., Nave, A. and Soller, M. 1986. Restriction fragment length polymorphism among Israeli Hol-stein-Friesian dairy bulls. Anim. Genet. 17: 25–38.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Georges, M. 1985. Recherche de liaisons génétiques au moyen de polymorphismes de fragments de restriction dans 1'éspèce bovine. Memoire de licencie en biologic moleculaire. Université Libre de Bruxelles.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Crittenden, L.B. 1981. Exogenous and endogenous leukosis virus genes. A review. Avian Path. 10: 101–112.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Soller, M. and Beckmann, J.S. 1986. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in poultry breeding. Poultry Science 65: 1471–1488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Antonorakis, S.E., Boehm, C.D., Giardina, P.J. and Kazazian, H.H. Jr. 1982. Nonrandom association of polymorphic restriction sites in the β-globin gene cluster. Proc. Natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79: 137–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Murray, J.C., Mills, K.A., Demopoulos, C.M., Hornung, S. and Motulsky, A.G. 1984. Linkage disequilibrium and evolutionary relationships of DNA variants (restriction enzyme fragment length polymorphisms) at the serum albumin locus. Proc. Natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 81: 3486–3490.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Smith, C. 1967. Improvement of metric traits through specific genetic loci. Anim. Prod. 9: 349–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Soller, M. 1978. The use of loci associated with quantitative traits in dairy cattle improvement. Anim. Prod. 27: 133–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Soller, M. and Plotkin-Hazan, J. 1977. The use of marker alleles for the introgression of linked quantitative alleles. Theor. Appl. Genet. 51: 133–137.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Tanksley, S.D., Medina-Filho, H. and Rick, C. 1981. The effect of isozyme selection on metric characters in an interspecific backcross of tomato—basis of an early screening procedure. Theor. Appl. Genet. 60: 291–296.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. FAO. 1980. Trypano-tolerant livestock in West and Central Africa. Prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in collaboration with the International Livestock Centre for Africa and the United Nations Environmental Program. Publications Division, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome.

  37. Geldermann, H., Pieper, U. and Roth, B. 1985. Effects of marked chromosome sections on milk performance in cattle. Theor. Appl. Genet. 70: 138–146.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Owen, J.B. 1975. Selection of dairy bulls on half-sister records. Anim. Prod. 20: 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Nicholas, F.W. and Smith, C. 1983. Increased rates of genetic change in dairy cattle by embryo transfer and splitting. Anim. Prod. 36: 341–353.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Hallerman, E.M., Kashi, Y., Nave, A., Beckmann, J.S. and Soller, M. 1987. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in dairy cattle and their utilization for genetic improvement. World Review of Animal Production (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Smith, C. and Simpson, S.P. 1986. The use of genetic polymorphisms in livestock improvement. Zeits. Tierzuchtung und Zuchtungsbiologie 103: 205–217.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Willard, H.J.F., Skolnick, M., Pearson, P.L. and Mandel, J.L. 1985. Human gene mapping by recombinant DNA techniques. VIII Human Gene Mapping Workshop, Helsinki, Finland.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Helentjaris, R., Slocum, M., Wright, S., Shaeffer, A. and Nienhuis, J. 1986. Construction of genetic linkage maps in maize and tomato using restriction fragment polymorphisms. Theor. Appl. Genet. 72: 761–769.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Bernatzky, R. and Tanksley, S.D. 1986. Toward a saturated linkage map in tomato based on isozymes and random cDNA sequences. Genetics 112: 887–898.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  45. Rando, A. and Masina, P. 1985. Restriction site polymorphisms in the pig β-globin gene cluster. Anim. Blood Grp. Bioch. Genetics 16: 35–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Andersson, L., Bohme, J., Rook, L. and Peterson, P.A. 1986. Genomic hybridization of bovine class II histocompatibility genes. Animal Genetics 17: 95–112.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Vaiman, M., Chardon, P. and Cohen, D. 1986. DNA polymorphism in the major histocompatibility complex of man and various farm animals. Animal Genetics 17: 113–134.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Chardon, P., Renard, Ch., Kirszenbaum, M., Geffrotin, Cl., Cohen, D. and Vaiman, M. 1985. Molecular genetic analysis of the major histocompatibility complex in pig families and recombinants. Jour. of Immunogenetics 12: 139–149.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Chardon, P., Vaiman, M., Kirszenbaum, M., Geffrotin, Cl., Renard, Ch. and Cohen, D. 1985. Restriction fragment length polymorphism of the major histocompatibility complex of the pig. Immunogenetics 21: 161–171.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Chardon, P., Kirszenbaum, M., Cullen, P.R., Geffrotin, Cl., Auffray, C., Strominger, J.L., Cohen, D. and Vaiman, M. 1985. Analysis of the sheep MHC using HLA class I, II and C4 cDNA probes. Immunogenetics 22: 349–358.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Jeffreys, A.J., Wilson, V. and Thein, S.L. 1985. Hypervariable ‘minisatellite’ regions in human DNA Nature 314: 67–73.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beckmann, J., Soller, M. Molecular Markers in the Genetic Improvement of Farm Animals. Nat Biotechnol 5, 573–576 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0687-573

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0687-573

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing