Genetic variability of calpastatin and calpain genes in Iranian Zel sheep using PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSCP methods

The genotypes for calpastatin [CAST] and calpain [CAPN] loci were determined by PCR-RFLP and PCRSSCP methods. Blood samples were collected from 200 pure-bred Zel sheep from Shirang's Zel sheep Breeding Station located in south-west of Golestan, Iran. Extraction of genomic DNA was performed based on the modified salting out method. Based on results, two investigated loci were polymorphic and had different gene variants. Heterozygosis was low for both loci. Chi-square test confirmed Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium only in CAST locus using SSCP method. Detected polymorphisms and associations of genetic variation with meat production and tenderness may help to find the effective genotypes of Zel sheep for the economic traits

Genetic polymorphism at the growth hormone locus in Iranian Talli goats by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism [PCR-SSCP]

The growth hormone gene could be an attractive candidate gene for milk production in goats. Single-strand conformation polymorphism was used to identify polymorphism at the goat growth hormone [gGH] gene. For this purpose, genotyping of 90 Talli goat breeds was performed. Nine conformational patterns were observed in exon 4 of the gGH gene, with frequencies of 27.7% for the homozygous pattern [AA] and 72.2% for all of other heterozygous patterns [A/B, A/C, A/B/C, A/B/D/E, A/B/C/F, A/C/F, A/B/E, A/B/F]. The results showed that exon 4 of the GH gene in Talli goats is highly polymorphic

Genetic polymorphism at MTNR1A, CAST and CAPN loci in Iranian Karakul sheep

Genotypes for melatonin receptor type 1A [MTNR1A] and Calpastatin [CAST] were determined by enzymatic digestion of PCR products and Calpain [CAPN] genotype detected by PCR-SSCP method in Iranian Karakul sheep. Blood samples were collected from 100 purebred Karakul sheep. The extraction of genomic DNA was based on guanidinium thio-cyanate-silica gel method. PCR amplicons were digested with restriction enzymes Mnll and Mspl for MTNR1A and CAST genes, respectively. The MTNR1A locus had two alle-les with frequencies of 0.79 for [+] and 0.21 for [-] alleles. Allelic frequencies for CAST locus were 0.85 for M and 0.15 for N. In addition, Calpain had two alleles A and B with respective frequencies of 0.79 and 0.21. The observed het-erozygosity values for MTNR1A, Calpastatin and Calpain locus were 0.42, 0.29 and 0.35, respectively. The X[2] test confirmed the existence of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the three loci in the population. The data showed a large variation in studied genes. The genetic polymorphism could be regarded as useful tool for selection programs based on marker- assisted selection between different genotypes of those loci

Calpastatin polymorphism and its association with daily gain in Kurdi sheep

Association of genetic polymorphism in the calpastatin [CAST] gene with average daily gain was examined in Iranian purebred Kurdi sheep. The genotypes for CAST were determined by the PCR-SSCP method. Blood samples were collected from 84 purebred Kurdi sheep belonging to the Kurdi Breeding Station located in the Khorasan province, north-east of Iran. Extraction of genomic DNA was based on the Guanidinium Thiocyanate-Silica gel method. Three genotypes including aa, ab and ac with frequencies of 0.55, 0.32 and 0.13, were observed in this population. Chi-square test confirmed Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the CAST loci. Average heterozygosity [37%] of the CAST locus for Kurdi sheep was slightly low. Daily gain birth to weaning [GBW]; weaning to six months [GWS]; six to nine months [GSN] and nine to yearling [GNY] were analyzed by a statistical model comprising SSCP [Single strand conformation polymorphism] and significant effect [P<0.05] of CAST genotypes was observed for GBW only

Genetic polymorphism of beta-lactoglobulin in certain Iranian and Russian sheep breeds

beta-lactoglobulin [Coded by the beta-lg gene] is the major milk whey protein in ruminants. Studies have shown that this protein is polymorphic in many breeds of sheep as a result of a single base pair substitution in the beta-lg gene that also gives rise to RsaI restriction fragment length polymorphism [RFLP]. Blood samples were collected from 391 animals belonging to 5 Iranian and 6 Russian sheep breeds. BLg5 and BLg3 primers amplified a 452 bp fragment from exon II of the ovine beta-lg gene. RsaI enzyme was used for restriction analysis of PCR products. Overall, the frequency of alleles A and B in the studied breeds were stimated as 0.65 and 0.35, respectively. The genotype BB was not seen in the Iranian and Russian Karakul, except in the Afshari and Finnish Landrace, other populations were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium

Investigation of two recessive disorders in breeder bulls of Abbas Abad animal breeding center

To prevent distribution of recessive alleles in dairy herds all bulls used for AI [Artificial Insemination] have to be tested. In this study 26 blood and 4 semen samples were supplied from Iranian Holstein bulls used for AI. Genomic DNA was extracted from 100 ml of blood and 200 ml of semen. Samples were tested by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism [PCR-RFLP] method. PCR reaction was performed for amplification of polymorphic region of the CD18 gene on chromosome 1 and exon 5 of ASS gene on chromosome 11. We detected one Bovine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency [BLAD] carrier and no carrier for bovine Citrolliemia in this study. Hardy-Weinberg test confirmed the equilibrium of BLAD locus in this population