Coalescence of Molecular and Quantitative Genetics for Livestock Improvement

Advances in molecular biology provide new opportunities for genetic improvement of livestock. As examples of molecular techniques that potentially can assist the quantitative geneticist in livestock improvement, consideration is given to applications of DNA fingerprinting, restriction fragment length polymorphism marker-assisted selection using nucleic acid probes (including selection at the embryonic stage), introgression of major genes into populations, and methods of generation of new genetic variability. Also considered are applications of existing and developing quantitative techniques in animal breeding that can be of use to molecular biologists in many areas of research, including the detection of genes of major effect, applications of reverse genetics, assessment of the effects of gametic imprinting and mitochondrial DNA, and the assessment of phenotypic expression and consequent effects of transgenes, As research in molecular biology evolves toward more practical applications for livestock improvement, greater use of, and reliance on, quantitative techniques will be made.