mitochondrial DNA

[Okotoks]

I asked this question on the "Top Ten Shorthorn Cow Families Thread" but thought I would ask in a seperate thread. Does anyone know what if anything is carried and passed on by Mitochondial DNA?

Does anyone know if mitochondrial lineage -- the maternal part of the genome, or the DNA that is passed exclusively from mothers to offspring could be responsible for some of the cow family traits that seem to keep being passed from one generation to the next?

 

[flacowman]

It wouldn't be mitochondrial lineage that is affecting phenotype or performance, it is simply good genetics being passed down through reproduction.  Luck in random assortment is more in line for getting the credit

 

[knabe]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/epigenetic-mice.html

start here.  female imprinting is done through mitochondria and methylation.  male imprinting, thought to not occur till recently is done with piwi rna.  everything is not in the genes.

to me, we should be breeding cows not breeding bulls and accumulating environmental response in the cow.  it's probably why some cows don't work in some areas or need a few generations to accumulate methylation.

i think it has merit if one is going to start a herd is to find a cow that has had many calves in one environment and get a female, and or a female from a female like that and get a first calf heifer from that one and build a group from those.

 

[knabe]

also,

i posted on this a while ago.

http://www.steerplanet.com/bb/index.php?topic=2025.msg22369#msg22369

also this is interesting.

http://www.genetics.org/content/180/4/2295.full.pdf
http://dererumnatura.us/archives/2008/02/the-history-of.html

 

[jaimiediamond]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/epigenetic-mice.html

start here.  female imprinting is done through mitochondria and methylation.  male imprinting, thought to not occur till recently is done with piwi rna.  everything is not in the genes.

to me, we should be breeding cows not breeding bulls and accumulating environmental response in the cow.  it's probably why some cows don't work in some areas or need a few generations to accumulate methylation.

i think it has merit if one is going to start a herd is to find a cow that has had many calves in one environment and get a female, and or a female from a female like that and get a first calf heifer from that one and build a group from those.

Wow that is fascinating information! Thanks for posting a great eye opener

 

[Okotoks]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/epigenetic-mice.html

start here.  female imprinting is done through mitochondria and methylation.  male imprinting, thought to not occur till recently is done with piwi rna.  everything is not in the genes.

to me, we should be breeding cows not breeding bulls and accumulating environmental response in the cow.  it's probably why some cows don't work in some areas or need a few generations to accumulate methylation.

i think it has merit if one is going to start a herd is to find a cow that has had many calves in one environment and get a female, and or a female from a female like that and get a first calf heifer from that one and build a group from those.

Thanks Knabe
Some interesting reading, looks like it's a lot more complicated than just the genes! ???

 

[knabe]

it's one reason i'm an armchair breeder and not a real breeder.