Water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) only have A2A2 genotype for beta-casein.

Tropical animal health and production 2021 Jan 28

filter terms:

Beta-casein is a milk protein that has two variants: A1 and A2. Some individuals have difficulties digesting beta-casein A1, which can cause gastrointestinal disorders. A2 milk has emerged as an alternative. This milk only contains beta-casein A2 and is obtained from females carrying the A2A2 genotype of the gene. In cattle, allele and genotype frequencies vary according to breed and marker-assisted selection is performed to obtain A2A2 animals and the consequent production of A2 milk that is easier to digest. This study aimed to evaluate the alleles of beta-casein in buffaloes. A total of 657 buffaloes of four different breeds were genotyped and all animals carried the A2A2 genotype, i.e., allele A1 does not exist in the buffalo species. Thus, all milk products of buffaloes are naturally A2. This result adds value to products derived from buffalo milk.

Citation

Louise Sarmento Martins de Oliveira, Jackeline Santos Alves, Marisa Siva Bastos, Valdecy Aparecida Rocha da Cruz, Luís Fernando Batista Pinto, Humberto Tonhati, Raphael Bermal Costa, Gregório Miguel Ferreira de Camargo. Water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) only have A2A2 genotype for beta-casein. Tropical animal health and production. 2021 Jan 28;53(1):145