Evidence of linkage between high-glycine-tyrosine keratin gene loci and wool fibre diameter in a Merino half-sib family

Abstract

Candidate genes for quantitative trait loci have been studied in a Medium Peppin Merino flock. Obvious candidates for effects on wool production traits are genes for the major proteins expressed in the wool fibre, the keratin and keratin-associated protein genes. Two keratin-associated protein loci, KRTAP6 and KRTAP8, have previously been shown to be linked. The results of analyses between these two loci and production traits gave significant evidence of linkage with wool fibre diameter in one out of eight half-sib groups tested. High-glycine-tyrosine proteins (KRTAP6, 7 and 8) are known to vary considerably in abundance in wool fibres and it is possible that a gene for major effect on fibre diameter is located within the same chromosomal region as KRTAP6 and KRTAP8.