Journal of Applied Genetics 42(3), 2001, pp. 293-308

Structural and functional genomics in domestic animals: the way to understand the phenotype

Manfred SCHWERIN

Abstract: Molecular approaches to genome analysis in livestock are reviewed by discussing the contribution of molecular genome analysis to the identification of the genetic variation underlying phenotypic variation (structural genome analysis) and to the definition of the trait-associated and environment-affected gene expression (functional genome analysis) as an important prerequisite to understanding the formation of a phenotype. Aspects of using mapped ‘quantitative trait loci’ (QTL) or gene variants as well as the identified trait-associated and environment-affected gene expression profile in livestock production are expounded.

Key words: candidate genes, gene expression, genome analysis, livestock, QTL.

Correspondence: M. Schwerin, Forschungsbereich Molekularbiologie, Forschungsinstitut fur die Biologie landwirtschaftlicher Nutztiere, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, D-18196 Dummerstorf, Germany, e-mail: schwerin@fbn-dummerstorf.de