Review uncovers key genetic determinants and regulatory networks for milk yield and composition in dairy goats, highlighting pathways to enhance genomic selection.
Key Points
Consolidate current evidence on the genes, polymorphisms, and regulatory networks governing milk yield and composition traits in dairy goats.
Synthesized findings from whole-genome resequencing, selection-signature scans, and genome-wide association studies (GWASs).
Evaluated functional evidence from transcriptomic, single-cell, and metabolomic analyses alongside goat mammary epithelial cell assays.
Identified a core lipogenic–somatotropic gene set (ACSS2, DGAT2, GHR, VPS13C, PRPF6), confirming DGAT1 as the primary fat-content gene and the casein cluster (CSN1S1–CSN3) as the key protein determinant.
Resolved key regulatory networks controlling lactation phenotypes, including transcription factors SREBP1, PPARG, ELF5, and non-coding RNAs.