Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34857886›Full record

ArticleCommunications biology2021

Mutant alleles differentially shape fitness and other complex traits in cattle.

Ruidong Xiang, Ed J Breen, Sunduimijid Bolormaa, Christy J Vander Jagt, Amanda J Chamberlain, Iona M Macleod, Michael E Goddard

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Integrating extensive functional annotations and multiomics of cattle enhances climate resilience prediction and mapping.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ruidong XiangFaculty of Veterinary & Agricultural Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, VIC, Australia. ruidong.xiang@unimelb.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1584-7605
Ed J BreenAgriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBiosciences, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
Sunduimijid BolormaaAgriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBiosciences, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
Christy J Vander JagtAgriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBiosciences, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
Amanda J ChamberlainAgriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBiosciences, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9395-1299
Iona M MacleodAgriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBiosciences, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
Michael E GoddardFaculty of Veterinary & Agricultural Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, VIC, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mutant alleles (MAs) that have been classically recognised have large effects on phenotype and tend to be deleterious to traits and fitness. Is this the case for mutations with small effects? We infer MAs for 8 million sequence variants in 113k cattle and quantify the effects of MA on 37 complex traits. Heterozygosity for variants at genomic sites conserved across 100 vertebrate species increase fertility, stature, and milk production, positively associating these traits with fitness. MAs decrease stature and fat and protein concentration in milk, but increase gestation length and somatic cell count in milk (the latter indicative of mastitis). However, the frequency of MAs decreasing stature and fat and protein concentration, increasing gestation length and somatic cell count were lower than the frequency of MAs with the opposite effect. These results suggest bias in the mutations direction of effect (e.g. towards reduced protein in milk), but selection operating to reduce the frequency of these MAs. Taken together, our results imply two classes of genomic sites subject to long-term selection: sites conserved across vertebrates show hybrid vigour while sites subject to less long-term selection show a bias in mutation towards undesirable alleles.

Indexed as

AllelesGenetic FitnessMutationPhenotypeAnimalsBody SizeCattleFemaleGlycolipidsGlycoproteinsLipid DropletsMilkMilk ProteinsPregnancyGlycolipidsGlycoproteinsmilk fat globuleMilk Proteins

Identifiers

PMID34857886
PMCPMC8640064

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.