Tri-State Neighbor: South Dakota Farm Newspaper

Mark Gardiner hopes cattle breeders won't “throw the baby out with the bathwater” over the recent discovery of an apparent defective gene in the bloodline of his high profile Angus bull, GAR Precision 1680.

After Curly Calf Syndrome (CCS) was identified in August and traced back primarily to GAR 1680, the Gardiners at Gardiner Angus Ranch in Ashland, Kan., have been working with several scientists to develop a reliable DNA test that will allow producers to identify the recessive gene in their own cattle.

“The more information we have about the defective gene, the sooner we can remove it from breeding programs,” Gardiner said. “If this bull hadn't had so many positive traits and been so widely used, the defective gene may never have been discovered.”

Waiting for a DNA test that will identify other potential carriers of the gene is probably the most difficult thing breeders are doing right now, said Don Laughlin, member services director for the American Angus Association (AAA).

“Breeders should take a proactive stance and go through their pedigrees (to search for Precision breeding),” Laughlin said. “They can start identifying which of their animals need to be tested. Breeders have been just great to work with, providing carcasses and historic accounts of calves. We're gathering all the info we can and feeding it to the experts.”

AAA posted the first notice of the syndrome on its Web site Sept. 5, noting that there was a “likely” presence of a lethal genetic defect in a specific line of Angus cattle. They reported that the association had received reports of 48 calves previously born dead with physical characteristics consistent with Curly Calf Syndrome. Out of the reports, 47 of the calves had GAR 1680 genetics on both sides of their pedigrees. They noted that the tentative conclusion that 1680 was the carrier did not “preclude other ancestors of this bull, on either the sire or the dam side, from potentially being identified as carriers at a later time.”

The notice further explained that “with the assumption of a simple recessive inheritance pattern, the risk for producing a calf affected with this syndrome can manifest itself when the recessive gene is found in both the sire's and the dam's pedigree.”

The report included a description of the scientists involved in investigating the issue, basic genetic information, and a timetable for identifying and isolating the carriers.

Two of the researchers the AAA is using to work toward resolving CCS in the Angus breed are David Steffen, DVM, and Jonathan Beever. Steffen, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is examining the physical characteristics of CCS. Beever, at the University of Illinois, is working to isolate the genetic root of the syndrome.

Once Beever has completed researching CCS, the AAA projects it will take approximately 90 days to locate the actual defective gene. At that point, qualified labs will begin accepting DNA samples, which can be obtained from hair samples taken from the cattle's tails, with the root intact.

“We'd love to have that test tomorrow,” Laughlin said. “But that timetable is totally dependent on Dr. Beever being able to define the gene that causes the abnormality. If this all works right, we hope to have the test available by February 2009. If we're lucky, we'll have it before then.”

Since 1991, Gardiner Angus Ranch has produced approximately 27,000 calves. In that time period, they recorded 11 stillborn, anatomically defective births, which represents four-tenths of 1 percent of the calves born during that period. Six of the calves had no Precision in their pedigree.

The Gardiners first heard of Curly Calf Syndrome in 1991 when Horst Leipold, American Angus Association adviser on genetic abnormalities at Kansas State University, provided them with a report from the descriptions and samples they had submitted to him. In a statement posted on their Web site, the Gardiners noted that they had reported a small number of calves born dead with bent and twisted spines in March 2007.

On Aug. 12, 2008, Beever, associate professor of molecular genetics at the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, requested semen samples from some GAR bulls to expedite his research. Shortly before Sept. 17, the Gardiners received notice that the recessive gene had been traced from GAR Precision 1680.

“I hope breeders will remember that this isn't 1955 or 1960,” Gardiner said. “We've come a long way with genetics, and we are doing all we can to get to the bottom of this.”

In a letter that the ranch sent out to its customers and friends, Gardiner quoted Laurence Denholm of New South Wales, Australia, in regard to discovery of the genetic defect.

“The only reason this particular defect has come to be recognized now is that the identified suspect carrier bull, Precision 1680, had so many powerful positive carcass performance traits which Angus breeders recognized and wanted to maximize in their own cattle,” Denholm said. “Breeders all over the world used his semen very heavily indeed Š and thereby increased the prevalence of his particular defective gene(s) in the population.”

Denholm went on to say that syndromes like CCS are not a sign of breeding failure, but are “the unavoidable byproducts of breeding success! To capture the full measure of that success however, these recessive disorders must be properly managed - as an integral component of the breed performance recording scheme.”

Gardiner Angus Ranch was established by Ralph Gardiner, who was born there in 1889 and began developing the ranch in the 1920s. It is now operated by Henry and Nan Gardiner and their three sons, Greg, Mark and Garth, and their wives.

Once all the facts surrounding the malady are identified, a DNA test can be developed to identify potential carriers. If researchers can assume that 1680 is the only carrier, breeders can avoid the problem by not breeding any cattle with 1680 in the pedigree.

Steffen regularly works with birth defects found in cattle.

“There are over 40,000 registered Angus animals so there's a possibility that this is a pretty widespread distribution,” Steffen said. “In the overall population, the sons of 1680 have a 50/50 chance of being carriers. If a breeder recognizes that bloodline in their cattle, they should contact the association and get assistance in dealing with it.”

Steffen noted that evidence of the recessive gene began to appear several years ago. It was first identified in seven embryos that were purchased for breeding purposes and all were born with Curly Calf Syndrome.

“It takes time to identify an emerging inherent disorder,” Steffen said. “We investigated all the possibilities for the defects that were seen, including viruses and toxic plants. That's the process we use to investigate any kind of birth defect.”

In his work, Steffen has dealt in recent years with birth defects identified in Shorthorns, Maine-Anjou and several other breeds.

“There needs to be a certain amount of frequency before these things get noticed,” he said.

The CCS defective gene - also known as Bovine Hereditary Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita - results in calves being born with a spine that is bent and twisted. The calves are small and appear thin because of limited muscle development. Legs are often rigid and may be hyperextended (common in rear limbs) or contracted. In some cases the rigid limbs result in calving difficulties. Additional unique features are recognized during laboratory examination. The calves are often born dead or die shortly after birth.