The completion of the bovine genome, as announced recently by the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, could expand the number of gene markers used in identifying tenderness and marbling in cattle.

Until now, scientists have had no bovine genome and have instead had to use human genome sequence to compare the markers with the DNA from cattle, said Jim Reecy, assistant professor of animal science.

“Now, with the publishing of the bovine genome, this process will speed up considerably, and we may see that gene markers are identified much more quickly in the next couple of years,” Reecy said.

The markers are a better gauge to judge the potential high quality product that an animal will have and could eventually improve the quality of beef people buy at the store.

Currently, four gene markers have been identified in the past three years, Reecy said.

Reecy said the gene markers will be used primarily in breeding to specifically design the pairing of cattle for mating and should improve the eating quality of beef.

Reecy said identifying markers has been a worldwide effort and that one marker has been released each year for the past three years.

Reecy said the number of carcass traits could quickly multiply in the coming years.

“In the future, we may see gene markers for feed efficiency, health, dressing percent, back fat and rib eye area. This is an exciting time — not only for scientists, but for beef producers as well,” he said.

Daryl Strohbehn, professor of animal science, shares Reecy’s enthusiasm.

“It’s an exciting area,” Stroh-behn said. “It gives us another tool that our producers can utilize.”

However, Reecy said there are a few drawbacks. He said these markers are not cheap yet, and there is currently no real market for tenderness.

Premiums are given for marbling but are not extended for tenderness.

“The industry has to make an improvement in that area,” he said.

He also cautioned against using markers by themselves.

“If you relied only on markers, you could end up limiting the long-term genetics gains you could make,” he said.

He suggested that the best idea would be to use a combination of a phenotype and the marker itself.

Reecy and other experts will present information about gene markers to beef seedstock producers at a Seedstock Conference on Dec. 2 at the Quality Inn & Suites Starlite Village.