Discovering Genetic Markers in Cattle: A Clue to Healthier Herds

Scientists have found a way to spot tiny changes in DNA that can shape how genes work in Nelore cattle. They looked at muscle tissue from 80 male cows and used fancy tools to measure gene activity. By doing this, they could see how these tiny changes, called SNPs, affect how genes are put together. This is important because it can tell us more about how cattle fight off diseases. They found over 3, 000 of these changes linked to genes that help fight inflammation and control how cells die.Some of these genes, like GSDMA and NLRP6, are crucial for forming something called an inflammasome, which helps fight infections. Other genes, like PIDD1 and NFKBIB, control a key pathway called NF-kB, which also plays a big part in the immune system. Understanding these connections could lead to breeding cattle that are naturally tougher against diseases.