Abstract / Description
The growth and development of dairy heifers are economically important traits, as they directly influence rearing costs, age at first calving, and subsequent milk production. Our previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified the AADACL3 gene as one of important candidates for body weight and body size traits of Chinese Holstein heifers. Here, we validate the genetic effects of AADACL3 on growth traits in an independent population. By performing whole-genome resequencing (∼10× coverage) on 30 Holstein sires, a total of 24 SNPs were identified within the coding region of AADACL3 and its 100-kb upstream and downstream flanking regions. Subsequently, these SNPs were genotyped in 2023 Holstein heifers by targeted capture sequencing (TCS). Using a mixed linear model in SAS 9.4, single-locus association analysis revealed that 15 SNPs were significantly associated with body weight at 2,3,4,7,9,10 and 11 month ages (P