Data from the study "Fine-mapping host genetic variation underlying outcomes to Mycobacterium bovis infection in dairy cows"

This dataset derives form a study on the host genetic variation in resistance to bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in dairy cattle. It is well established that host genetic variation in resistance to bTB exists in dairy cattle. However, cattle diagnosed as infected with M. bovis display varying signs of pathology. The variation in host response to infection could represent a continuum since time of exposure or distinct outcomes due to differing pathogen handling. To investigate this 1966 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were genotyped using the the BovineHD SNP chip. Three distinct phenotypes were defined in the study single intradermal cervical comparative tuberculin (SICCT) test positives with visible lesions (VLs), SICCT-positives with undetected visible lesions (NVLs) and matched controls SICCT-negative on multiple occasions. Up to 15 of the 29 chromosomes of the bovine genome were found to harbour heritable variation. By case phenotype, 4 of 5 chromosomes explaining heritable variation in the VLs were also found for NVLs, but an additional 10 chromosomes were unique to NVLs. Furthermore, five different genomic regions with heritable variation were found for the two case phenotypes. A genomic region of interest detected in NVLs, but not VLs, was on chromosome 23 located near the bovine leukocyte antigen (BoLA) class IIb region. BoLA is the bovine version of the Major Histocompatibility Complex, a family of genes which encode cell surface molecules involved in the immune system, playing an important role in disease resistance. The results suggest some differing underlying genetics governing observed versus non-observed pathology for bTB infected animals, supporting the notion of a bTB infection spectrum. The implications of complex genetic control of bTB susceptibility may need to be considered in disease control.

Bishop, Steve; Allen, Adrian; McBride, Stuart; Skuce, Robin; Bermingham, Mairead; Woolliams, John; Glass, Liz; Wilkinson, Samantha. (2017). Data from the study "Fine-mapping host genetic variation underlying outcomes to Mycobacterium bovis infection in dairy cows", [dataset]. University of Edinburgh. http://dx.doi.org/10.7488/ds/2074.