Abstract
ObjectiveThe use of genetic markers can help to enhance reproduction in cattle, which is a very important trait for profitability in dairy production systems. This study evaluated the association between genotypes of leptin (LEP), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and chemokine receptor of interleukin 8 C-X-C motif (CXCR1) genes and fertility traits in Czech Fleckvieh cattle.MethodsPhenotypic data from 786 Czech Fleckvieh cows raised on 5 farms in the Czech Republic were used, along with information from the 1st three parities. To determine genotype, the polymerase chain reaction– restriction fragment length polymorphism method was used.ResultsExcept for LEP g.-963C>T, all studied genotype frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were distributed according to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Two LEP SNPs (g.-963C>T and c.357C>T) were associated with the age at the 1st calving, days open (DO), pregnancy rate after 1st service (PR), and calving interval (CLI). In LEP g.-963C>T the TT genotype heifers firstly calved 24 days earlier than CC genotype and the CT genotype cow showed a tendency for shorter DO and higher PR. In LEP c.357C>T we observed longer CLI and DO period in TT cows. In general, we can propose the TT genotype of g.-963C>T as favorable and the TT genotype of c.357C>T as unfavorable for a cow’s fertility. Heterozygotes in TLR4 c.-226C>G were significantly associated with shorter CLI, and presented a nonsignificant tendency to be associated with higher PR. In CXCR1 c.777 C>G, we did not observe any relationship of this SNP with reproduction.ConclusionOverall, the results showed that LEP could be an effective marker for improving reproduction in Czech Fleckvieh cattle. This study also provides novel insights into the relationship between TLR4 and CXCR1 SNPs and reproduction in dual-purpose cattle.
Highlights
Fertility traits are important selection targets; they have low heritability, so accurate selection and genetic gain in fertility traits is a slow process
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) c.357C>T is located on exon 3 and causes an amino acid change from Alanine to Valine [5]; it is associated with age at 1st service and milk yield during 1st and 2nd lactations [3], somatic cell count, and milk composition [6]
The present study aimed to investigate the association between LEP, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and CXCR1 SNPs and fertility traits
Summary
Fertility traits are important selection targets; they have low heritability, so accurate selection and genetic gain in fertility traits is a slow process. The LEP gene is mapped to chromosome 4, and its genetic variants have been associated mainly with milk yield [1], energy balance, and feed intake [2], and fertility [3]. The g.-963C>T mutation in the LEP promoter was firstly described in 2005 [2], and its association was confirmed with reproductive traits in cattle [3,4]. CXCR1 has been associated with somatic cell count, milk yield, subclinical and clinical mastitis [15,16,17] This gene is suggested as a potential candidate marker for mastitis [14]. The present study aimed to investigate the association between LEP, TLR4, and CXCR1 SNPs and fertility traits. It aimed to describe its genotype frequencies in Czech Fleckvieh cattle
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