Grant: Idea to Innovation

Cattle prices at slaughter are primarily dependent on a combination of fat (9 mm backfat is necessary to achieve top prices but 12 mm brings the price down again) and lean meat yield. Age is another important factor with young feedlot cattle being the only age class that can achieve an "A" grade in Canada. ) Our pilot study identified 3 polymorphisms in a gene in cattle. One of these changes an amino acid in a functionally important portion of this gene and was therefore studied further in two populations of beef cattle. This polymorphism was significantly associated with grade fat and average fat in both populations in which the fat levels were high enough to be considered optimal for slaughter. However in one population only cattle fed one diet, not another, showed a significant relationship. This type of relationship is now known as "nutrigenomics". It implies that certain genetic types of cattle do best on certain nutritional regimens. Under "nutrigenomics" management systems, a company DNA tests cattle and then recommends specific diets, for specific lengths of time. ) Therefore prior to patent application it would be valuable to assess the effects of this polymorphism on more cattle populations, raised on different diets and slaughtered under different criteria. Furthermore this polymorphism is of most value, if and only if it adds to the predictive ability of a polymorphism we previously discovered in leptin used by the Canadian company we hope to partner with, Quantum Genetics. Finally a DNA test protocol which will adapt to large scale commercial testing needs to be developed.