A genome scan for milk production traits in dairy goats reveals two new mutations in Dgat1 reducing milk fat content

Un corrigendum de cet article a été publié dans le vol.8, Article 4060 avec la clé UT (WOS) 000426355200007 et le DOI : 10.1038/s41598-018-22118-x; The quantity of milk and milk fat and proteins are particularly important traits in dairy livestock.However, little is known about the regions of the genome that influence these traits in goats. Weconducted a genome wide association study in French goats and identified 109 regions associatedwith dairy traits. For a major region on chromosome 14 closely associated with fat content, theDiacylglycerol O-Acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) gene turned out to be a functional and positional candidategene. The caprine reference sequence of this gene was completed and 29 polymorphisms were found inthe gene sequence, including two novel exonic mutations: R251L and R396W, leading to substitutionsin the protein sequence. The R251L mutation was found in the Saanen breed at a frequency of 3.5% andthe R396W mutation both in the Saanen and Alpine breeds at a frequencies of 13% and 7% respectively.The R396W mutation explained 46% of the genetic variance of the trait, and the R251L mutation 6%.Both mutations were associated with a notable decrease in milk fat content. Their causality was thendemonstrated by a functional test. These results provide new knowledge on the genetic basis of milksynthesis and will help improve the management of the French dairy goat breeding program.