News Release:
UNE closes in on "golden" gene
|
13/1/03 004/03 Researchers at the University of New England are closing in on
a gene that could save the Australian sheep industry up to $50 million
a year. They believe the gene is responsible for UNE's celebrated "Golden
Ram" phenomenon. Ever since the discovery of the worm-resistant
Golden Ram ("Goldie") in UNE's experimental flock 20 years
ago, his progeny have continued to show worm-resistant traits. Advances in DNA technology are now enabling the researchers to
test the hypothesis that an identifiable gene is responsible for
the trait. The wool industry's research funding body, Australian
Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI) is investing $950,000 in the UNE project. "Our primary aim for the industry is to reduce the cost of
drenching by 30 per cent," said the project leader, Associate
Professor Julius van der Werf. "Australian sheep farmers currently
spend $80 million a year on drenching to control parasites. Overall,
parasite problems cost the industry $300 million a year." Dr van der Werf, from UNE's School of Rural Science and Agriculture, said direct evidence (faecal egg counts) from more than 1,000 of Goldie's progeny over several generations had confirmed that they were much more resistant to barber's pole worm than other sheep. "A major gene was suspected, but could never be demonstrated convincingly," he said. |
Then, in the late 1990s, new software developed at UNE's Animal
Genetics and Breeding Unit demonstrated the presence of a "major
gene effect" in its statistical analysis of the accumulated
data. "This provided good evidence for the presence of a worm-resistant
gene," Dr van der Werf said. "It was clear that a search
for the gene using new DNA technologies was not only justified,
but highly likely to succeed." The new project, funded by AWI for the next three years, is aimed
at locating the gene by testing the animals' DNA for "genetic
markers" that can indicate the gene's proximity. Karen Marshall,
the UNE geneticist who is managing the project, said: "Genes
are hard to locate, and most tests are designed to locate genetic
markers." "We're about to begin the process of specifying 200 such markers
using blood samples from Goldie's progeny," Ms Marshall continued.
"That's the first phase of the project, and we expect results
by the end of 2003. The following two years will be devoted to finding
the gene itself. We will also be looking at other flocks out in
the industry to see whether they carry any of these desirable genes." The UNE researchers are working in collaboration with Dr Jill Maddox, a gene-mapping expert at the University of Melbourne. Media contact: Associate Professor Julius van der Werf, School
of Rural Science and Agriculture, UNE, Armidale (02) 6773 2092 or
email, A photograph showing Jim Lea taking blood samples for DNA testing in the Golden Ram project is available for download. |
