Recently, we gained access to the DNA-sequences relating to the mutation in Holstein
cattle which is responsible for Cholesterol Deficiency. The test will be
available in a few weeks. All new tests are directly available at our website.
Cholesterol deficiency (CD), a new
autosomal recessive inherited genetic defect has been recently reported to
influence the rearing success of calves. The affected animals show unresponsive
diarrhea accompanied by hypocholesterolemia and usually die within the first
weeks or months of life. A collaborating team of swissherdbook, the Swiss
Holstein association, Swissgenetics, and the research group at the University
of Bern (Switzerland) was able to detect a causative APOB gene mutation.
Due to the identified gene mutation
homozygous affected calves are lacking an important element for lipid uptake in
small intestine and liver. These findings explain that young calves die within
a period of days to months after birth as a consequence of the onset of
diarrhea.
The study confirmed that the responsible
gene mutation was distributed worldwide by the Canadian Holstein sire Maughlin
Storm born in 1991 and its progeny. For the first time the new gene test allows
an absolutely certain determination of the causative mutation and represents an
improvement of the indirect haplotype-based marker test which was published in summer 2015.
We expect significant interest for this
test, as the mutation causes diarrhea which is
not responsive to any veterinarian treatment.
Any questions? Please do not hesitate to contact us.