Genetic test for left-sided displacement of the abomasum (LDA)

Left-sided displacement of the abomasum (LDA) is an economically important disease in Holstein dairy cattle populations all over the world. The bovine abomasum is the equivalent to the stomach in monogastric species and its pathologic displacement is usually preceded by bloating due to reduced gastrointestinal contractions.

Over the past 50 years, the incidence of LDA has considerably increased. Despite surgical veterinary treatments, LDA affected cows show a long convalescence.

Scientists of the Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation in cooperation with the clinic for cattle of Hannover and the Clinic for Ruminants and Swine, Faculty for Veterinary Medicine at the Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, sequenced the complete motilin gene in German Holstein cows.

They identified a single nucleotide polymorphism showing significant association with LDA and affecting a transcription factor binding site. An expression study gave evidence of a significantly decreased motilin expression in cows carrying the mutant allele. The study indicates motilin to be involved in the etiopathogenesis of LDA in German Holstein cattle.

It provides a first step towards the understanding of the genetics of LDA and may be of use for investigating gastric motility disorders in other species.

You can find further information at the following internet addresses: http://www.tiho-hannover.de/kliniken-institute/institute/institut-fuer-tierzucht-und-vererbungsforschung/gentests/gentests-rind/genombasierter-test-auf-linksseitige-labmagenverlagerung-bei-deutschen-holsteins/
and
http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035562

Scientific Contact:

Prof. Dr. Ottmar Distl
Dr. Stefanie Mömke
University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics Tel.: +49 511 953-8876
ottmar.distl@tiho-hannover.de
stefanie.moemke@tiho-hannover.de