An Alternative Model for Additive and Cytoplasmic Genetic and Maternal Effects on Lactation

Results from a recent study that presented evidence suggesting a lack of cytoplasmic inheritance of lactation traits were reexamined using a model that included effects of additive genotype, cytoplasmic genotype, their interaction, and maternal influences. Under this model, equivalent estimates of heritability from daughter-dam and grand-daughter-grand-dam regression that exceed those from paternal half-sib correlation were consistent with the presence of cytoplasmic inheritance. A definitive answer to the question of cytoplasmic inheritance of lactation traits awaits a designed experiment, likely employing transfer of identical nuclei into varying cytoplasmic backgrounds.