ASSESSMENT OF CHAROLAIS BULLS POPULATION STRUCTURE BASED ON SNPs ANALYSES

Abstract

The aim of this study was identification of SNPs in leptin (LEP), leptin receptor (LEPR), growth hormone (GH) and specific pituitary transcription factor (Pit-1) genes in order to analyze genetic structure of Charolais bulls’ population. The total numbers of genomic DNA samples were taken from 52 breeding bulls and analyzed by PCR-RFLP method. After digestion with restriction enzymes were detected in bulls’ population alleles with frequency: LEP/Sau3AI A 0.83 and B 0.17 (±0.037); LEPR/BseGI C 0.95 and T 0.05 (±0.021), GH/AluI L 0.62 and V 0.38 (±0.048) and Pit1/HinfI A 0.40 and B 0.60 (±0.048). Based on the observed vs. expected genotypes frequencies population across loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.05), only in case of Pit-1 locus was detected disequilibrium. Predominant were in analyzed breeding bulls LEP/Sau3AIAA (0.69), LEPR/T945MCC (0.90), GH/AluILL (0.43) and Pit-1/HinfIAB (0.65) genotypes. The observed heterozygosity of SNPs was also transferred to the low (LEP/Sau3AI/0.248 and LEPR/T945M/0.088) or median polymorphic information content (GH/AluI/0.366 and Pit-1/HinfI/0.370). Within genetic variability estimating negative (LEPR/T945M and Pit-1/HinfI) and positive values (LEP/Sau3AI and GH/AluI) of fixation indexes FIS indicating slight heterozygote excess or deficiency based on analyzed genetic marker were observed.