1000 Bull Genomes Project to Map Simple and Complex Genetic Traits in Cattle: Applications and Outcomes

TLDR

The 1000 Bull Genomes Project compiles whole‑genome sequences from 2,703 cattle, representing a large fraction of global bovine diversity. The project has identified 84 million SNPs and 2.5 million indels, rapidly pinpointing deleterious and embryonic lethal mutations, and has incorporated these variants into low‑cost SNP arrays now genotyped in tens of thousands of dairy and beef cattle to manage harmful alleles and support genomic selection.

Abstract

The 1000 Bull Genomes Project is a collection of whole-genome sequences from 2,703 individuals capturing a significant proportion of the world's cattle diversity. So far, 84 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 2.5 million small insertion deletions have been identified in the collection, a very high level of genetic diversity. The project has greatly accelerated the identification of deleterious mutations for a range of genetic diseases, as well as for embryonic lethals. The rate of identification of causal mutations for complex traits has been slower, reflecting the typically small effect size of these mutations and the fact that many are likely in as-yet-unannotated regulatory regions. Both the deleterious mutations that have been identified and the mutations associated with complex trait variation have been included in low-cost SNP array designs, and these arrays are being genotyped in tens of thousands of dairy and beef cattle, enabling management of deleterious mutations in these populations as well as genomic selection.