Abstract
This study was carried out to determine the presence of polymorphisms in genes affecting litter size. The SNPs in bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 1B (BMPR1B), bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), and growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) genes were detected in 60 uniparous and 60 multiparous ewes from Ramlıç and Dağlıç breeds. The ewes are maintained in nine public herds at the breeding station of the Afyonkarahisar Sheep and Goats Breeders' Association and lambed in two consecutive breeding seasons. PCR and DNA sequencing analyses were conducted, and 36, 4, and 11 SNPs in Ramlıç and 40, 3, and 11 SNPs in Dağlıç were detected in BMPR1B, BMP15, and GDF9 genes, respectively. A total of 16 SNPs in Ramlıç and 10 SNPs in Dağlıç breeds for three genes were found to be significant (). The resulting analyses showed that four SNPs (g.49496G>A, c.1658A>C, c.2037C>T, c.2053C>T) of the BMPR1B gene and one deletion mutation (c.28_30delCTT) in the BMP15 gene of the Ramlıç breed as well as five SNPs (c.1487C>A, c.2492C>T, c.2523G>A, c.2880A>G, and c.2763G>A) of the BMPR1B gene of the Dağlıç breed have significant positive regression coefficients in the desired direction of the rare allele. The observed mutations have potential to be used as genetic markers in the selection of prolific animals for both breeds.
Highlights
Crossbreeding with various foreign breeds is performed worldwide to increase the yield of native sheep breeds
Different regions of BMPR1B, bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), and growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) genes were examined in the blood samples from Ramlıç and Daglıç breeds
The composition of 40 SNPs determined in the BMPR1B gene of the Daglıç breed was as follows: five SNPs in intron 8, three SNPs in exon 9, one SNP in intron 9, two SNPs in exon 10, five SNPs in intron 10, two SNPs in intron 12, and one SNP in exon 13 and 21 in the 3 UTR
Summary
Crossbreeding with various foreign breeds is performed worldwide to increase the yield of native sheep breeds. Ramlıç sheep were developed by crossbreeding Americanoriginated Rambouillet rams with native Daglıç ewes (Akçapınar, 2000). The Daglıç sheep is one of the oldest autochthonous breeds in Asia Minor and has existed since the ancient era. The average lamb birth weight and weaning weight in Ramlıç and Daglıç breeds were reported as 4.26 and 30.39 as well as 3.54 and 23.25 kg, respectively. These figures hit 80 and 123 as well as 46 and 53 kg in mature ewes and rams in public herds. The litter size was reported between 1.23 and 1.56 and between 1.02 and
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