Genetic markers and Bovine Johne's disease

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Johne's disease (JD) is a disease with great economic implications to the dairy industry and is also attracting**significant public health concern owing to the possible zoonotic nature of its causative bacteria,**Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. The lack of availability of vaccines with high efficacy as well**as effective treatments has hindered control of JD worldwide. Given its heritable nature, as indicated in various**studies, one means of reducing the incidence of JD is by employing genetic selection in breeding programs to**produce offspring with enhanced disease resistance. To achieve this, it is necessary to identify genetic markers**associated with JD and to assess their biological relevance. Over the past decade, a number of genomic studies**have identified different genetic markers associated with JD. Inconsistent findings from these studies suggest**that JD is a complex disease that is polygenic in nature with many potential genetic markers influencing disease**resistance. There is a need to further validate these genetic markers in independent populations before they can**be used in genetic selection programs, and this is the aim of the present study. The specific objectives are to: a)**validate and confirm previous associations with genetic markers and JD in a Canadian Holstein population, b)**assess potential impact of these markers on production and health traits, and c) characterize their biological**relevance in vitro using genetically modified bovine cell lines. New knowledge obtained from this study will**help dairy industry move forward to enhance resistance to JD through genetic selection.