title: Pleiotropic Genes Affecting Carcass Traits in Bos indicus (Nellore) Cattle Are Modulators of Growth.
abstract: Two complementary methods, namely Multi-Trait Meta-Analysis and Versatile Gene-Based Test for Genome-wide Association Studies (VEGAS), were used to identify putative pleiotropic genes affecting carcass traits in Bos indicus (Nellore) cattle. The genotypic data comprised over 777,000 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers scored in 995 bulls, and the phenotypic data included deregressed breeding values (dEBV) for weight measurements at birth, weaning and yearling, as well visual scores taken at weaning and yearling for carcass finishing precocity, conformation and muscling. Both analyses pointed to the pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) as a major pleiotropic gene. VEGAS analysis revealed 224 additional candidates. From these, 57 participated, together with PLAG1, in a network involved in the modulation of the function and expression of IGF1 (insulin like growth factor 1), IGF2 (insulin like growth factor 2), GH1 (growth hormone 1), IGF1R (insulin like growth factor 1 receptor) and GHR (growth hormone receptor), suggesting that those pleiotropic genes operate as satellite regulators of the growth pathway.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Agroindústria, Alimentos e Nutrição, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", USP, Piracicaba, Brazil.|International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Collaborating Centre on Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anirene
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1254-0963
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: G T Pereira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Reprodução Animal, UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.|International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Collaborating Centre on Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Yuri T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Utsunomiya
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Apoio, Produção e Saúde Animal, UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária de Araçatuba, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.|International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Collaborating Centre on Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milanesi
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Reprodução Animal, UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.|International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Collaborating Centre on Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafaela B P
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Torrecilha
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Reprodução Animal, UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.|International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Collaborating Centre on Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriana S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Carmo
authors.affiliation: GenSys Consultores Associados, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Haroldo H R
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carvalheiro
authors.affiliation: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ajmone-Marsan
authors.affiliation: Recombinetics, Inc., St Paul, MN, United States of America.
authors.forename: Tad S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Sonstegard
authors.affiliation: BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Division of Livestock Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sölkner
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Agroindústria, Alimentos e Nutrição, Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", USP, Piracicaba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carmen J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Contreras-Castillo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Reprodução Animal, UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.|Departamento de Apoio, Produção e Saúde Animal, UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária de Araçatuba, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.|International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Collaborating Centre on Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics, Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: José F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics; D001947:Breeding; D002417:Cattle / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide