Associations between the Bovine Myostatin Gene and Milk Fatty Acid Composition in New Zealand Holstein-Friesian × Jersey-Cross Cows

摘要

The gene that encodes myostatin influences more than one trait, and its expression has been observed in skeletal muscle, as well as the mammary gland. In this study, association analysis revealed that variation in the bovine myostatin gene affects milk fatty acid composition, raising the possibility that this genetic variation may be utilized to increase the amount of unsaturated fatty acid and decrease the amount of saturated fatty acid in milk.