Two indel variants of prolactin receptor (PRLR) gene are associated with growth traits in goat

The regulation of prolactin secretion and its targeting function of teleost

Prolactin is involved in regulating various physiological activities of vertebrates and is one of the most momentous pituitary hormones. However, not enough attention is currently paid to prolactin, especially in teleost. This paper aims to gather, organize, and analyze recent studies on the regulation and functions of prolactin. By comparing with other animal groups, it highlights the significant role of prolactin in fish reproduction, immunity, growth, and osmotic pressure regulation, as well as the upstream and downstream factors that may be involved in the regulation of prolactin functions were introduced to provide a theoretical basis for the in-depth study and potential practical application of prolactin.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Body Conformation Traits in Tashi Goats (Capra hircus)

Identifying genetic markers of economically valuable traits has practical benefits for the meat goat industry. To better understand the genomic variations influencing body conformation traits, a genome-wide association study was performed on Tashi goats, an indigenous Chinese goat breed. A total of 155 Tashi goats were phenotyped for eight body conformation traits: body height, body length, chest depth, chest width, chest girth, rump width, rump height, and cannon bone circumference. Then, 100 Tashi goats were randomly selected for whole-genome sequencing and genotyped. We obtained 1676.4 Gb of raw data with an average sequencing depth of 6.2X. Clean reads were aligned to the ARS1.2 reference genome, and 11,257,923 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. The structure analysis showed that these Tashi goats were almost not genetically related. The 109, 20, 52, 14, 62, 51, 70, and 7 SNPs were significantly associated with body height, body length, chest depth, chest width, chest girth, rump width, rump height, and cannon bone circumference. Within the ±500 kb region of significant SNPs, 183 genes were annotated. The most significantly enriched KEGG pathway was "olfactory transduction", and the most significantly enriched gene ontology (GO) terms were "cellular process", "cellular anatomical entity", and "molecular transducer activity". Interestingly, we found several SNPs on chromosomes 10 and 11 that have been identified multiple times for all eight body conformation traits located in two fragments (114 kb and 1.03 Mb). In chr.10:25988403-26102739, the six SNPs were tightly linked, the TACTAG genotype was the highest at 91.8%, and the FNTB (Farnesyltransferase, CAAX Box Beta) and CHURC1 (Churchill Domain Containing 1) genes were located. In chr.11:88216493-89250659, ten SNPs were identified with several dependent linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks, and seven related genes were annotated, but no significant SNP was located in them. Our results provide valuable biological information for improving growth performance with practical applications for genomic selection in goats.

The prolactin receptor: A cross-species comparison of gene structure, transcriptional regulation, tissue-specificity, and genetic variation

The conserved and multifaceted functions of prolactin (PRL) are coordinated through varied distribution and expression of its cell-surface receptor (PRLR) across a range of tissues and physiological states. The resultant heterogeneous expression of PRLR mRNA and protein across different organs and cell types supports a wide range of PRL-regulated processes including reproduction, lactation, development, and homeostasis. Genetic variation within the PRLR gene also accounts for several phenotypes impacting agricultural production and human pathology. The goal of this review is to highlight the many elements that control differential expression of the PRLR across tissues, and the various phenotypes that exist across species due to variation in the PRLR gene.

Allele mining in prolactin receptor gene and its association with some economic traits in Egyptian goat breeds

The objectives of the current study were to identify polymorphism in the prolactin receptor (PRLR) gene among three Egyptian goat breeds (Zaraibi, Damascus, and Barki) and to investigate the association between PRLR genotype, parity, season of kidding, and litter size factors with milk yield and reproductive traits of Zaraibi goats. One hundred and ninety blood samples were collected for DNA extraction, with 110 from Zaraibi, 40 from Barki, and 40 from Damascus breeds. Three genotypes, CC, CT and TT, for the prolactin receptor gene were identified in the 190 DNA samples using restriction fragment length polymorphism and were confirmed by direct sequencing technique. Milk yield during suckling and lactation periods in addition to age at first conception, gestation length, and litter size were determined in 110 Zaraibi goats. The Zaraibi goats recorded the highest heterozygosity (0.495) and the effective number of alleles (1.972). The g.62130C > T SNP showed a significant association (p < 0.01) with suckling, lactation, and total milk yield of Zaraibi goats with the highest values recorded at the third parity. Age at the first conception and gestation length traits were significantly influenced by the kidding season (p < 0.05) with younger age in autumn and shorter length in spring seasons. Milk yield during the suckling period was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in the case of triplets' litter size. The current study showed that litter size and parity played an important role in the amount of Zaraibi goats' milk yield. The g.62130C > T SNP of the PRLR gene may be a useful marker for assisted selection programs to improve goat milk yield during suckling and lactation periods with the heterozygous genotype CT recording the highest values.

Genome-Wide Association and Pathway Analysis of Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in Karachai Young Goats

Goats with diverse economic phenotypic traits play an important role in animal husbandry. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying complex phenotypic traits are unclear in goats. Genomic studies of variations provided a lens to identify functional genes. The work aimed to search for candidate genes related to body measurements and body weight of Karachai goats and develop an experimental PCR-RV test system for genotyping significant SNPs. Comparison of GWAS results for ages 4 and 8 months revealed 58 common SNPs for significant genotypes. 11 common SNPs were identified for body weight, 4 SNPs-for group of traits withers height, rump height, body length, 2 SNPs-for withers height and rump height, 1 SNP-for body length and chest depth. Structural annotation of genomic regions covering a window of ±0.20 Mb showed the presence of 288 genes; 52 of them had the described functions in accordance with gene ontology. The main molecular functions of proteins encoded by these genes are the regulation of transcription, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, body growth, fatty acid and lipid metabolism, nervous system development, and spermatogenesis. SNPs common to body weight and localized within a window of ±200 kb from the structural genes CRADD, HMGA2, MSRB3, FUT8, MAX, and RAB15 were selected to create a test system. The study of meat productivity after slaughter and chemical analysis of muscle tissue in Karachai goats at the age of 8 months of different genotypes according to the identified SNPs revealed that rs268269710 is the most promising for further research and use in breeding. The GG genotype is associated with a larger live weight of animals, a larger carcass yield, the content of the boneless part in it, and the ratio of protein and adipose tissue in meat preferred for dietary nutrition. These results will contribute to the genetic improvement of Karachai goats.

InDel and CNV within the AKAP13 Gene Revealing Strong Associations with Growth Traits in Goat

A-kinase-anchoring protein 13 (AKAP13) is a member of the AKAP protein family that has been found to be associated with bone formation. Thus, we investigated the AKAP13 gene as a potential candidate gene for molecular-marker-assisted selection (MAS) in breeding. Our aim was to explore genetic variations (InDel and CNV) within the AKAP13 gene of Shaanbei white cashmere (SBWC) goats and analyze their relationship with growth traits. Ultimately, we identified three InDel loci (16-bp deletion, 15-bp insertion, and 25-bp deletion) and three CNVs, and the 16-bp and 15-bp loci were significantly associated with goat body length (p < 0.05). Both the 16-bp deletion variant and the 15-bp insertion variant facilitated an increase in body length in goats. In addition to this, there was a certain superposition effect between 16-bp and 15-bp loci, although there was no linkage. Additionally, the CNV1 locus was significantly correlated with body height and body length of goats (p < 0.05), and CNV2 was significantly correlated with chest depth, chest circumference, and cannon circumference of goats (p < 0.05). Individuals with gain type showed excellent growth performance. In conclusion, the InDel and CNV loci that we have identified could possibly serve as effective molecular markers in goat breeding, which is very essential for improving efficiency and success of breeding. Moreover, our findings provide a new avenue for further research into the function of the AKAP13 gene.

Effect of the prolactin gene polymorphism on quantity and quality of milk in Iraqi goats

Domestic goats in Iraq are one of the oldest domesticated animals in Mesopotamia. Their adaptation characterizes them to harsh environmental conditions such as heat in the summer and cold in the winter. Still, they suffer from neglect and the lack of genetic research that would improve the production of this animal, which is considered a multi-production (milk production, meat production, hair production). And because the prolactin gene is crucial, the current study focused on how the prolactin gene (PRL) affects milk yield and its composition. We obtained three genotypes of the prolactin gene exon 5: AA, AB, and BB. The hybrid genotype AB had the highest daily milk yield in domestic goats, although the recessive type BB had a more significant fat percentage. The genetic approach is advised if breeding aims to enhance milk output daily. So select hybrid genotype AB to exon 5 for the (PRL) gene. . Keywords: Domestic Iraqi goats; prolactin gene; milk production

Prenatal diagnosis and mRNA profiles of fetal tetralogy of Fallot

Tetralogy of fallot (TOF) in the fetus is a typical congential heart disease that occurs during the early embryonic period, being characterized by the abnormal development of conus arteriosus. The early diagnosis and prevention of fetal TOF is very important and there is a great need for exploring the pathogenesis of it in clinic. In this study, there were three cases being detected with TOF by fetal echocardiogram and confirmed by autopsy. We characterize the difference of expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs through sequencing analysis of 3 pairs of myocardial tissues of fetal TOF and those of age-matched controls. Compared with normal group, there were 94 differentially expressed lncRNAs and 83 mRNA transcripts in TOF (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis between lncRNA and mRNA further showed that differentially expressed lncRNA can be linked to mRNAs, suggesting the potential regulator role of lncRNA in mRNA expression. Our data serve as a fundamental resource for understanding the disease etiology of TOF.

Identification of Genomic Regions and Candidate Genes Associated with Body Weight and Body Conformation Traits in Karachai Goats

The objective of this study was to identify the SNPs and candidate genes related to body weight and seven body conformation traits at the age of 8 months in the Russian aboriginal Karachai goats (n = 269) by conducting genome-wide association studies (GWAS), using genotypes generated by Goat SNP BeadChip (Illumina Inc., USA). We identified 241 SNPs, which were significantly associated with the studied traits, including 47 genome-wide SNPs (p < 10−5) and 194 suggestive SNPs (p < 10−4), distributed among all goat autosomes except for autosome 23. Fifty-six SNPs were common for two and more traits (1 SNP for six traits, 2 SNPs for five traits, 12 SNPs for four traits, 20 SNPs for three traits, and 21 SNPs for two traits), while 185 SNPs were associated with single traits. Structural annotation within a window of 0.4 Mb (±0.2 Mb from causal SNPs) revealed 238 candidate genes. The largest number of candidate genes was identified at Chr13 (33 candidate genes for the five traits). The genes identified in our study were previously reported to be associated with growth-related traits in different livestock species. The most significant genes for body weight were CRADD, HMGA2, MSRB3, MAX, HACL1 and RAB15, which regulate growth processes, body sizes, fat deposition, and average daily gains. Among them, the HMGA2 gene is a well-known candidate for prenatal and early postnatal development, and the MSRB3 gene is proposed as a candidate gene affecting the growth performance. APOB, PTPRK, BCAR1, AOAH and ASAH1 genes associated with withers height, rump height and body length, are involved in various metabolic processes, including fatty acid metabolism and lipopolysaccharide catabolism. In addition, WDR70, ZBTB24, ADIPOQ, and SORCS3 genes were linked to chest width. KCNG4 was associated with rump height, body length and chest perimeter. The identified candidate genes can be proposed as molecular markers for growth trait selection for genetic improvement in Karachai goats.

Association analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphism in prolactin and its receptor with productive and body conformation traits in Liaoning cashmere goats

The results of this study showed that the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites of the PRL and PRLR genes have a certain association with the milk production performance, body size and cashmere performance of Liaoning cashmere goats (LCGs). Through our designed experiment, the potential SNPs of LCG were detected by sequence alignment, and two SNPs were found on two genes. The CC genotype of the PRL gene is the dominant genotype among the three genotypes. The GG genotype of the PRLR gene is the dominant genotype among the two genotypes. At the same time, the two genotypes also have good performance in cashmere production and body size. Through the screening of haplotype combination, the milk fat rate > 7.6 %, the milk protein rate > 5.6 %, the milk somatic cell number < 1500 × 103 mL-1, the cashmere fineness < 15.75 µm, the chest girth > 105 cm, the chest depth > 33 cm, and the waist height > 67.5 cm are considered as screening indexes for comprehensive production performance of Liaoning cashmere goats. It is concluded that the GCGC type is the dominant haplotype combination. According to our research data, we found that the biological indicators of Liaoning cashmere goat milk are higher than the national standards, so we think it is very significant to study the milk production performance of our experiment. Further research can be done on goat milk production and body conformation traits around PRL gene and PRLR gene.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Body Conformation Traits by Whole Genome Sequencing in Dazu Black Goats

Simple Summary

Body conformation traits are economically important in the goat meat industry. Good growth performance in goats, including an accelerated growth rate, can improve carcass weight and meat yield. The identification of genetic variants associated with these traits provides a basis for the genetic improvement of growth performance. In this study, we measured six body conformation traits, including body height, body length, cannon circumference, chest depth, chest width, and heart girth. By a genome-wide association study of a Chinese meat goat breed, 53 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms and 42 candidate genes associated with these traits were detected. These findings improve our understanding of the genetic basis of body conformation traits in goats.

Abstract

Identifying associations between genetic markers and economic traits has practical benefits for the meat goat industry. To better understand the genomic regions and biological pathways contributing to body conformation traits of meat goats, a genome-wide association study was performed using Dazu black goats (DBGs), a Chinese indigenous goat breed. In particular, 150 DBGs were genotyped by whole-genome sequencing, and six body conformation traits, including body height (BH), body length (BL), cannon circumference (CC), chest depth (CD), chest width (CW), and heart girth (HG), were examined. In total, 53 potential SNPs were associated with these body conformation traits. A bioinformatics analysis was performed to evaluate the genes located close to the significant SNPs. Finally, 42 candidate genes (e.g., PSTPIP2, C7orf57, CCL19, FGF9, SGCG, FIGN, and SIPA1L) were identified as components of the genetic architecture underlying body conformation traits. Our results provide useful biological information for the improvement of growth performance and have practical applications for genomic selection in goats.

Identification of polymorphisms in the MSTN and ADRB3 genes associated with growth and ultrasound carcass traits in Kajli sheep

The aim of this investigation was to find single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the myostatin (MSTN) and the beta-3 adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) genes associated with growth and ultrasound carcass traits in Kajli sheep. The five growth traits were birth weight (BWT-EBV), 120-day weight (120DWT-EBV), 180-day weight (180DWT-EBV), 270-day weight (270DWT-EBV), and 365-day weight (365DWT-EBV). The three ultrasound carcass traits were width (WLD) and depth of longissimus dorsi (DLD) and back fat thickness (BFT). The analysis of the MSTN sequence revealed one non-synonymous substitution (c.197T > A) in exon 1, one single nucleotide substitution (c.373 + 18G > T) in intron 1, and one synonymous substitution (c.861T > A) in exon 3. However, there were four single nucleotide synonymous substitutions (c.130C > T, c.294C > G, c.579G > T, and c.654C > G) in exon 1 of the ADRB3 gene. All the SNPs in the MSTN gene, except for c.373 + 18G > T, were in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE). Conversely, none of the SNPs found in ADRB3 were in HWE. Two of the MSTN SNPs (c.197T > A and c.373 + 18G > T) had significant associations with all evaluated growth and ultrasound carcass traits. The SNPs c.130C > T and c.294C > G in ADRB3 were significantly associated with 180DWT-EBV. Collectively, these findings indicate that several SNPs in the studied genes were significantly related to growth and carcass traits in Kajli sheep.