DBT-National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (DBT-NIAB) scientists have announced a major scientific breakthrough of decoding the genome of indigenous cows. For the first time, a reference-grade whole genome ‘de novo’ (afresh) assembly has been created for any indigenous breed of cattle, with collaboration from the USDA-ARS (US Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Research Service).
Indigenous cattle are known for their resilience to various diseases and abiotic stress, such as drought and heat, and have unique traits when compared to their western/exotic counterparts. The newly generated reference genome will provide valuable information that can be used to accurately identify genes and variations that are responsible for the unique characteristics of indigenous cattle. This achievement comes 14 years after the genome sequence of western/exotic ‘Brahman’ cattle became available, said scientists.
“This genome decoding has important implications in future research and will help us to better understand and conserve our cattle breeds. It will facilitate the development of highly productive and resilient indigenous cattle, enabling them to compete with exotic breeds and crossbred varieties in the future. It is the result of consistent and diligent efforts by the institute to enhance the genetic potential of the indigenous bovine,” said NIAB Director G. Taru Sharma.
Using the ‘trio-binning approach’, scientists assembled two genomes, ‘Sahiwal’ and ‘Tharparkar’ with high precision, by sequencing the parents (Sahiwal sire and Tharparkar dam) and their daughter using long and short-read sequencing.
Scientists involved in the study, Sarwar Azam and Ravi Gandham, affirmed that these are the best available assemblies for cattle species. “With this development, we have eliminated the dependency of Indian researchers on the reference genome developed for exotic/foreign cattle. It will help in genomic enhancement of our cattle research in breeding, disease resistance, and nutrition”, said Dr. Azam.
These genome assemblies will also serve as ‘Reference Genomes’ for future research of indigenous cattle and have also been submitted to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and dedicated to the community of cattle researchers.
Project coordinator and former NIAB director Subeer S. Majumdar said these genome assemblies are part of ongoing research to develop tools and techniques for the improvement and conservation of indigenous cattle with the ‘livestock genomics’ project already producing the ‘IndiGau SNP’ chip released in 2021.
Dr. Sharma pointed out that the availability of the genome will give a boost to cattle genomic research and prove to be invaluable for the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in their field-based cattle selection programmes, paving the way for further breakthroughs in the field.
