Posters ASSOCIATION OF MICROSATELLITE MARKERS AND NRAMP1GENE WITH BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS TRAITS IN ZEBU CATTLE

The main objective of this study was to detect association between microsatellite genetic markers and a candidate gene with tuberculosis-related traits in African zebu cattle. A total of 249 of Chadian zebu cattle was genotyped for 23 microsatellites and for a known candidate gene NRAMP1 (natural resistance associated macrophage protein 1). These animals were measured for two tuberculosis-related traits, namely, single intra-dermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test on live animals and lung lesion (LL) from the same animals at slaughter. A generalised linear mixed model (GLMM) treating both traits as binomially distributed was fitted using probit link function. Eleven out of 21 microsatellite markers tested were significantly associated with presence of LL (P-value < 0.001 to P-value <0.01). For SICCT trait, only BM2113 marker was significant (P-value = 0.012). NRAMP 1 gene (chr 1) was significantly associated with LL at P-value = 0.006, but not associated with SICCT test (P-value = 0.488). Reasons for this disagreement are considered. These results show that these genetic markers and NRAMP1 gene could be potentially used in marker-assisted selection (MAS) strategies in breeding programs to control the spread of Mycobaterium. Bovis, which is a causative agent of bovine tuberculosis.