The future role of molecular genetics in the control of meat production and meat quality

Abstract

Current applications of quantitative genetics for genetic improvement of farm animals rely on sophisticated statistical procedures applied to failly simple genetic models and have been effective in producing large cumulative genetic changes in many traits. Recent advances in molecular genetics provide a potential for renewed methods in animal breeding. The two main possible fields of application of recombinant DNA methologies, i.e. marker-assisted breeding and gene transfer, are reviewed. Use of genetic markers as an aid to present breeding practice appears to be rather promising, but research effort remains to be done before implementation of marker-assisted breeding schemes on a significant scale. It is not, at this stage, obvious that transgenesis will be an important way of improving meat-producing animals, at least in the near future.