AgResearch Ltd, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel, New Zealand.
New Zealand Leather and Shoe Research Association (Inc.), Palmerston North, New Zealand.
J Sci Food Agric. 2022 Aug 30;102(11):4813-4819. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.11844. Epub 2022 Mar 9.
This study explored the genetic variability in the New Zealand sheep population for economically important skin traits. Skins were collected at slaughter from two progeny test flocks, resulting in 725 skins evaluated for grain strain, flatness, crust leather strength and overall suitability for shoe leather. DNA profiles collected from skins post-slaughter were matched to individual animals using previously collected high-density genotypes.
Considerable phenotypic variation for skin traits was observed, with around 40% of the skins being identified as suitable for high-value shoe leather production. Several key traits associated with leather production, including flatness, tear strength, grain strength and grain strain were found to be moderate to highly heritable (h = 0.28-0.82). There were no major significant genome-wide association study (GWAS) peaks associated with many of the traits examined, however, one single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) reached significance for the flatness of the skin over the hindquarters.
This research confirms that suitable lamb skins can be bred for use as high-value shoe leather. While moderately to highly heritable, skin traits in New Zealand lambs appear to be polygenic with no genes of major effect underlaying the traits of interest. Given the complex nature of these traits, the identification and selection of animals with higher-value skins may be enabled by geomic selection. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
本研究探索了新西兰绵羊群体在具有经济重要性的皮肤性状方面的遗传变异性。屠宰时从两个后裔测试群中收集皮肤，共评估了 725 个皮样的粒面强度、平整度、革皮强度和整体制鞋适用性。屠宰后从皮样中收集的 DNA 图谱使用先前收集的高密度基因型与个体动物进行匹配。
观察到皮肤性状存在相当大的表型变异，大约 40%的皮样被鉴定为适合生产高价值鞋革。与皮革生产相关的几个关键性状，包括平整度、撕裂强度、粒面强度和粒面应变，被发现具有中等至高度的遗传力（h = 0.28-0.82）。许多检查的性状都没有与主要显著全基因组关联研究（GWAS）峰相关，但一个单核苷酸多态性（SNP）与皮肤后半部的平整度显著相关。
这项研究证实，适合的羔羊皮可以通过选育用于生产高价值的鞋革。虽然皮肤性状具有中等至高度的遗传力，但新西兰羔羊的皮肤性状似乎是多基因的，没有主要基因影响所关注性状的遗传基础。鉴于这些性状的复杂性，通过基因组选择可能能够识别和选择具有更高价值皮肤的动物。© 2022 作者。《食品科学杂志》由 John Wiley & Sons Ltd 代表化学工业协会出版。
