Allelic variation in CYP3A4 and PLB1 drives feed efficiency and immunometabolic resilience in beef cattle
Olanrewaju B Morenikeji1,2, Modoluwamu Idowu3,4, Godstime Taiwo3,5
1Department of Biology, Virginia State University, Petersburgh, VA, 23806, USA. omorenikeji@vsu.edu.
Abstract:
Immunometabolic traits are increasingly recognized as key determinants of feed efficiency and resilience in beef cattle. This study aimed to identify functional genetic markers associated with these traits by integrating SNP genotyping and gene expression profiling. We evaluated genetic markers for feed efficiency and immunocompetence in 102 crossbred steers (217 ± 8.2 kg) fed a high-forage total mixed ration for 63 days, using GrowSafe8000 intake nodes to calculate residual feed intake (RFI). From the 20 most efficient (low-RFI) and 20 least efficient (high-RFI) animals, we genotyped three metabolic loci (CYP3A4 rs438103222, PLB1 rs456635825, CRAT rs876019788) and profiled blood mRNA levels of these, plus eight innate/adaptive immune genes. Logistic regression revealed that CYP3A4 and PLB1 polymorphisms, but not CRAT, were strongly associated with initial and final body weight, average daily gain, and feed intake: CYP3A4 A/A and PLB1 A-allele carriers achieved superior growth on reduced feed. Haplotype reconstruction across the three loci defined eight multi-SNP combinations, with the C-A-A haplotype enriched in low-RFI steers and combinations harboring CYP3A4 A and PLB1 A alleles linked to low RFI. Intriguingly, these favorable genotypes also overlapped with up-regulation of immune sensors and effectors (e.g., CD14, TLR4, TNF-α), indicating a coordinated metabolic-immune adaptation in efficient cattle. Collectively, our results validate CYP3A4 and PLB1 as high-impact quantitative trait nucleotides for marker-assisted selection aimed at simultaneously improving feed efficiency and immune resilience in beef production.
Related Concept Videos
01:39Epistasis
01:58Cell Specific Gene Expression
01:09Epistasis Analysis
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
02:41Lethal Alleles
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
02:26Comparing Copy Number Variations and SNPs
Copy number variations or CNVs are the structural variations that cover more than 1kb of DNA sequence. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), on the other hand, is a single nucleotide change or a point mutation that is found in more than 1%...