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Journal of Heredity Advance Access originally published online on September 9, 2008
Journal of Heredity 2008 99(6):629-638; doi:10.1093/jhered/esn060
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© The American Genetic Association. 2008. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Cattle Temperament

Beatriz Gutiérrez-Gil, Nia Ball, Deborah Burton, Marie Haskell, John L. Williams, and Pamela Wiener

From the Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS, Scotland, UK (Gutiérrez-Gil, Ball, Burton, Williams, and Wiener); and the Sustainable Livestock Systems Group, Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Rd, E49 356 Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, UK (Haskell). Beatriz Gutiérrez-Gil is now at the Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, 24071, León, Spain. John L. Williams is now at the Parco Tecnologico Padano, Via Einstein, Polo Universitario, Lodi 26900, Italy

Address correspondence to P. Wiener at the address above, or e-mail: pam.wiener{at}roslin.ed.ac.uk.

In addition to its potential contribution to improving animal welfare, the study of the genetics of cattle behavior may provide more general insights into the genetic control of such complex traits. We carried out a genome scan in a Holstein x Charolais cross cattle population to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing temperament-related traits. Individuals belonging to the second-generation of this population (F2 and backcross individuals) were subjected to 2 behavioral tests. The flight from feeder (FF) test measured the distance at which the animal moved away from an approaching human observer, whereas the social separation (SS) test categorized different activities which the animal engaged in when removed from its penmates. The entire population was genotyped with 165 microsatellite markers. A regression interval mapping analysis identified 29 regions exceeding the 5% chromosome-wide significance level, which individually explained a relatively small fraction of the phenotypic variance of the traits (from 3.8% to 8.4%). One of the significant associations influencing an FF test trait on chromosome 29 reached the 5% genome-wide significance level. Eight other QTL, all associated with an SS test trait, reached the 1% chromosome-wide significance level. The location of some QTL coincided with other previously reported temperament QTL in cattle, whereas those that are reported for the first time here may represent general loci controlling temperament differences between cattle breeds. No overlapping QTL were identified for the traits measured by the 2 different tests, supporting the hypothesis that different genetic factors influence behavioral responses to different situations.

Key Words: temperament • fearfulness • animal welfare • QTL • habituation

Corresponding Editor: James Womack

Received December 18, 2007
Accepted July 7, 2008


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