Kooverjee, Bhaveni B.Van der Nest, Magrieta AlettaMacNeil, Michael D.Scholtz, Michiel M.Neser, Frederick W.C.Soma, Pranisha2025-11-122025-11-122025-07-21Kooverjee, B.B., Van Der Nest, M.A., MacNeil, M.D., Scholtz, M.M., Neser, F.W.C. & Soma, P. (2025) Estimation of breed composition of South African sheep affected with wet carcass syndrome. Frontiers in Genetics 16:1635947: 1-15. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1635947.1664-8021 (online)10.3389/fgene.2025.1635947http://hdl.handle.net/2263/105241DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because they are the property of the S.A sheep producers, and the information in these datasets is commercially sensitive. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to the corresponding author.Wet carcass syndrome (WCS), a condition that negatively affects the quality of carcasses after slaughter, is seriously threatening the South African sheep industry. Despite its economic impact, the underlying genetic mechanisms of WCS remain unknown. Initially, WCS was predominantly observed in Dorper sheep, leading to speculation that the condition was breed-specific. However, recent reports indicate WCS has occurred in various sheep breeds. This study aimed to determine whether WCS is breed-specific and whether breed composition influences its incidence. Meat samples from 164 WCS-affected and 83 unaffected sheep were collected and genotyped using the Ovine 50K SNP Bead Chip. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and ancestry matrix assessments revealed that WCS-affected and unaffected sheep belonged to different commercial breeds. Additionally, crossbred animals were affected. These findings suggest that WCS is strongly associated with breed and that Dorper and Merino-types show heightened susceptibility. The genetic diversity of the affected animals suggests a multifactorial etiology, potentially involving environmental and managerial factors. Future studies should also explore the physiological mechanisms underlying WCS, including metabolic and stress-related pathways, to develop effective prevention strategies.en© 2025 Kooverjee, Van Der Nest, MacNeil, Scholtz, Neser and Soma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).Case-control studyMeat qualityBreed specificityPopulation genomicsOvine geneticsGenetic admixtureWet carcass syndrome (WCS)South African sheep industryArticle