491 Czech Journal of Animal Science, 64, 2019 (12): 491–503 Original Paper htps://doi.org/10.17221/226/2019-CJAS Supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency (Projects No. APVV-17-0060 and No. APVV-17-0508), Scien- tifc Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic and Slovak Academy of Sciences (VEGA) (Project No. 1/0742/17), Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic (Projects No. QK1910059 and No. MZe-RO0718-V003) and by the European Union (ITMS 26240220080). Analysis of selection signatures in the beef cattle genome Nina Moravčíková 1 *, Radovan Kasarda 1 , Luboš Vostrý 2,3 , Zuzana Krupová 3 , Emil Krupa 3 , Kristína Lehocká 1 , Barbora Olšanská 1 , Anna Trakovická 1 , Rudolf Nádaský 4 , Radoslav Židek 5 , Ľubomír Belej 5 , Jozef Golian 5 1 Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding Biology, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic 2 Department of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic 3 Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic 4 Poľnohospodárske družstvo Špačince, Špačince, Slovak Republic 5 Department of Food Hygiene and Safety, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic *Corresponding author: nina.moravcikova1@gmail.com Citation: Moravčíková N., Kasarda R., Vostrý L., Krupová Z., Krupa E., Lehocká K., Olšanská B., Trakovická A., Nádaský R., Židek R., Belej Ľ., Golian J. (2019): Analysis of selection signatures in the beef cattle genome. Czech J. Anim. Sci., 64, 491–503. Abstract: Tis study aimed to evaluate the impact of selection on the genome structure of beef cattle through iden- tifcation of selection signatures refecting the breeding standard of each breed and to discover potential functional genetic variants to improve performance traits. Genotyping data of six beef breeds (Aberdeen Angus, Hereford, Lim- ousin, Charolais, Piedmontese and Romagnola) were used to perform genome-wide scans for selection signatures. Te approaches applied were based on an assumption that selection leads to linkage disequilibrium or to a decrease of genetic variability in genomic regions containing genotypes connected with favourable phenotypes. Tus, the selection signatures were analysed based on Wright’s F ST index, distribution of runs of homozygosity segments in the beef genome and determination of linkage disequilibrium variability between breeds. Te number and length of detected selection signals were diferent depending on the breeds and methodological approaches. As expected due to the breeding goals of analysed breeds, common signals were located on autosomes 2, 6, 7, 13 and 20 close to the genes associated with coat colour (KIT, KDR), muscle development (GDF9, GHRH, GHR), double muscling (MSTN), meat tenderness (CAST) and intramuscular fat content (SCD). But, across the genomes of analysed breeds, unique selection signals were found as well. Te subsequent analysis of those single nucleotide polymorphism markers can be benefcial for the genetic progress of studied breeds in future. Keywords: artifcial selection; local population; genomic autozygosity; linkage disequilibrium; Wright’s statistic In cattle, similarly like in other farm animal spe- cies, natural as well as artificial selection together with adaptation to different biogeographical re- gions and production systems influenced mainly allele frequencies of loci associated with fitness and variability of production traits of interest.