Haplotypic variation in the UCP1 gene is associated with milk traits in dairy cows.

Uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) plays a role in the regulation of body temperature, metabolic rate and energy expenditure in animals. While variation in UCP1 and its phenotypic effect has been investigated in humans and sheep, little is known about this gene in cattle. In this study, four regions of bovine UCP1 were investigated in 612 Holstein-Friesian × Jersey (HF × J) dairy cows using polymerase chain reaction-single stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analyses.

The sheep KAP8-2 gene, a new KAP8 family member that is absent in humans.

The keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) are fundamental components of hair and wool fibres, and are believed to in part be responsible for some of the properties of these fibres. KAPs can be divided into three groups: the high sulphur (HS) KAPs, the ultra-high sulphur (UHS) KAPs and the high glycine-tyrosine (HGT) KAPs. KAP8 is a HGT-KAP family and was believed to be coded for by a single gene in both humans and sheep.