Cloning and Bioinformatics Analysis of FecB Gene in Improved Offspring of Suffolk Sheep

Abstract

As is well known, the FecB (BMPR-IB) gene, as the earliest gene discovered by scientists that is closely related to sheep fertility, is the major gene responsible for multiple births in sheep. FecB gene shows a notable linkage with the quantity of newborn lambs. However, there has been limited research on the physicochemical properties and distribution of FecB in the improved descendants of Suffolk sheep. Therefore, this study first constructed a phylogenetic tree of the FecB (BMPR1B) protein in 30 species. The results showed that the improved descendants of Suffolk sheep are closely related to goats, water buffalo, domestic cattle, and humped cattle, indicating a strong level of conservation of BMPR-IB gene within the genus. At the same time, the physicochemical properties and structure of the FecB protein were analyzed, revealing that the FecB protein in the improved descendants of Suffolk sheep is positively charged, belongs to hydrophilic unstable alkaline proteins, contains a signal peptide, is a transmembrane protein, and has 56 phosphorylation sites. The secondary structure of the FecB protein consists of α-helices, extended chains, β-turns, and random coils, accounting for 34.86%, 13.15%, 3.39%, and 48.61%, respectively. Protein interaction analysis also showed that FecB has extensive regulatory interactions with members of the bone morphogenetic protein family. However, the examination of the BMPR-IB gene’s expression levels in nine tissues, which encompasses the heart, liver, spleen, and ovaries of the improved descendants of Suffolk sheep, showed the highest expression in the kidneys and the lowest expression in the spleen and small intestine. This study extensively explored the tissue expression profile and protein physicochemical structure of the BMPR-IB gene in the improved descendants of Suffolk sheep, aiming to lay a theoretical foundation for selecting high-yield improved descendants of Suffolk sheep.