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. 2020 Oct;52(10):1099-1110.
doi: 10.1038/s41588-020-0694-2. Epub 2020 Sep 28.

The mosaic genome of indigenous African cattle as a unique genetic resource for African pastoralism

Kwondo Kim  1   2 , Taehyung Kwon  1 , Tadelle Dessie  3 , DongAhn Yoo  4 , Okeyo Ally Mwai  5 , Jisung Jang  4 , Samsun Sung  2 , SaetByeol Lee  2 , Bashir Salim  6 , Jaehoon Jung  1 , Heesu Jeong  4 , Getinet Mekuriaw Tarekegn  7   8 , Abdulfatai Tijjani  3   9 , Dajeong Lim  10 , Seoae Cho  2 , Sung Jong Oh  11 , Hak-Kyo Lee  12 , Jaemin Kim  13 , Choongwon Jeong  14 , Stephen Kemp  5   9 , Olivier Hanotte  15   16   17 , Heebal Kim  18   19   20
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Free article

The mosaic genome of indigenous African cattle as a unique genetic resource for African pastoralism

Kwondo Kim et al. Nat Genet. 2020 Oct.
Free article

Abstract

Cattle pastoralism plays a central role in human livelihood in Africa. However, the genetic history of its success remains unknown. Here, through whole-genome sequence analysis of 172 indigenous African cattle from 16 breeds representative of the main cattle groups, we identify a major taurine × indicine cattle admixture event dated to circa 750-1,050 yr ago, which has shaped the genome of today's cattle in the Horn of Africa. We identify 16 loci linked to African environmental adaptations across crossbred animals showing an excess of taurine or indicine ancestry. These include immune-, heat-tolerance- and reproduction-related genes. Moreover, we identify one highly divergent locus in African taurine cattle, which is putatively linked to trypanotolerance and present in crossbred cattle living in trypanosomosis-infested areas. Our findings indicate that a combination of past taurine and recent indicine admixture-derived genetic resources is at the root of the present success of African pastoralism.

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Comment in

  • Stories in the DNA.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] Nat Genet. 2020 Oct;52(10):985. doi: 10.1038/s41588-020-00719-5. Nat Genet. 2020. PMID: 32999491 No abstract available.
  • African cattle adaptations.
    Koch L. Koch L. Nat Rev Genet. 2020 Dec;21(12):718-719. doi: 10.1038/s41576-020-00293-w. Nat Rev Genet. 2020. PMID: 33020624 No abstract available.

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