Loci associated with genetic disorders and meat quality in Charolais cattle in Mexico

Allelic and genotypic frequencies of eight markers previously associated to genetic disorders and meat quality and located in the calpain (CAPN1-4751 and CAPN1-316) , calpastatin (CAST-T1), thyroglobulin (TG5), myostatin (MSTN, Q204X), argininosuccinate synthase (ASS), monophosphate synthase (UMPS) and myophosphorylase (PYGM) genes, were determined from 493 registered Charolais animals sampled from two herds located at Sonora (n= 157) and three at Nuevo León (n= 336), Mexico. No carriers of mutated alleles of ASS and UMPS genes were found, but carriers of the MSTN Q204X allele were identified at frequencies of ≤ 1 % in Sonora populations and 8.6 to 14.4 % in Nuevo Leon. In addition, carriers of PYGM marker were identified at frequencies of 6.49 and 1% in a herd from Sonora and other from Nuevo León, respectively. Analysis of gene differentiation among herds and with four loci showed that there are highly significant differences within Northwest populations (P<0.0001) and between them and the Northeast (P<0.001), differentiation is mainly explained by the loci CAPN-316 and TG5. According to the obtained results, the periodic monitoring of the PYGM marker gene and of the allele Q204X the MSTN gene is propose; also it is important to implement strategies to confirm the usefulness of those markers associated with quality and productivity as a tool to complement breeding programs.