ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Anim. Sci.
Sec. Animal Breeding and Genetics
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fanim.2025.1641988
Gene network analysis of fat composition in beef of Bos taurus indicus influenced cattle
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
- 2Lincoln University, Jefferson City, United States
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Fatty acid composition is a key determinant of beef quality, influencing traits such as flavor, tenderness, and nutritional value. Understanding the genetic regulation of fatty acid composition in beef cattle may inform strategies to improve these attributes through selective breeding. The objective of this study was to explore genomic regions associated with fatty acid composition. Genome-wide association analysis revealed several candidate genes, including HELB, PLAG1, FASN, and LZTS2, which are involved in cell growth and division and may influence lipid accumulation in adipose tissue. Gene network analysis corroborated genome-wide association study (GWAS) findings and further identified additional genes with small effects that were not detected by single-trait GWAS. This approach revealed numerous genes involved in fatty acid uptake and intracellular lipid transport, providing deeper insight into the complex genetic architecture underlying beef fatty acid composition.
Keywords: Healthfulness, Linoleic acid (18:2n-6), Oleic acid (18:1), Omega-3 (n-3), Omega-6 (ω-6), Palmitic acid (C16:0)
Received: 05 Jun 2025; Accepted: 18 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Rodriguez, Leal-Gutierrez, Carr and Mateescu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Eduardo Emilio Rodriguez, University of Florida, Gainesville, United States
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