Hyperketonemia (HYK) is a metabolic disorder that affects early postpartum dairy cows; however, there has been limited success in identifying genomic variants contributing to HYK susceptibility. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using HYK phenotypes based on an intensive screening protocol, interrogated genotype interactions with parity group (GWIS), and evaluated the enrichment of annotated metabolic pathways. Holstein cows were enrolled into the experiment after parturition, and blood samples were collected at four timepoints between 5 and 18 days postpartum. Concentration of blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) was quantified cow-side via a handheld BHB meter. Cows were labeled as a HYK case when at least one blood sample had BHB ≥ 1.2 mmol/L, and all other cows were considered non-HYK controls. After quality control procedures, 1,710 cows and 58,699 genotypes were available for further analysis. The GWAS and GWIS were performed using the forward feature select linear mixed model method. There was evidence for an association between ARS-BFGL-NGS-91238 and HYK susceptibility, as well as parity-dependent associations to HYK for BovineHD0600024247 and BovineHD1400023753. Candidate genes annotated to these single nuclear polymorphism associations have been previously associated with obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, and fatty liver in humans and rodent models. Enrichment analysis revealed focal adhesion and axon guidance as metabolic pathways contributing to HYK etiology, while genetic variation in pathways related to insulin secretion and sensitivity may affect HYK susceptibility in a parity-dependent matter. In conclusion, the present work proposes several novel marker associations and metabolic pathways contributing to genetic risk for HYK susceptibility.
Keywords: BHB; GWAS; dairy cow; hyperketonemia; ketosis.