LoinMAX and MyoMAX: taking DNA marker tests from the research environment to commercial reality
A.W. CAMPBELL and R.J. McLAREN
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 67: 160-162
Meat yield is an important component of most sheep breeding programmes. To improve meat yield, breeders use a variety of tools including marker assisted selection (MAS). Ovita funded AgResearch to develop two marker tests to assist in selection for superior meat yield. These have been branded MyoMAXTM and LoinMAXTM and originated from quantitative trait loci (QTL) studies over the past decade. In both cases the development of these commercial marker tests involved refining the QTL locations, identifying informative marker haplotypes and validating these in industry flocks. Both the LoinMAXTM and MyoMAXTM beta tests were field validated using a number of commercial breeders. The validation process showed that the phenotypic effects of both LoinMAXTM and MyoMAXTM were significant in different genetic backgrounds and that there were no negative correlations between the presence of LoinMAXTM and MyoMAXTM with other traits, such as meat quality and growth rate. Both LoinMAXTM and MyoMAXTM have now been successfully commercially launched by Catapult Genetics Ltd and are being widely used in industry.
Keywords: NZSAPAB; sheep; LoinMAX; MyoMAX; meat yield; validation
Last Updated 18/07/2007