Abstract
The aim of the experiment was to detect polymorphisms in the keratin-associated protein 8.2 (KAP8.2) gene to determine associations between the genotype and fibre traits in Chinese Inner Mongolia cashmere goats. The fibre traits data investigated were cashmere fibre diameter, combed cashmere weight, cashmere fibre length and guard hair length. Five hundred and forty-two animals were used to detect polymorphisms in the complete coding sequence of the hircine KAP8.2 gene by means of PCR- SSCP. The results identified six genotypes, AA, BB, DD, AB, AD and BD, coded for by three different alleles A, B and D. Two SNPs in the coding region were confirmed by sequencing, which were A214G and T218C respectively. The relationships between the genotypes and cashmere fibre diameter, combed cashmere weight, cashmere fibre length and guard hair length were analyzed. There were significant differences (p<0.01) between the associations of the different genotypes with cashmere fibre diameter, cashmere weight and hair length. Cashmere length was the only trait that was not associated with the genotypes. The genotype AA (0.73) was found to be predominant in Inner Mongolia cashmere goats and the animals with this genotype had the thinnest cashmere fibre diameter compared with the other genotypes. These results suggested that polymorphisms in the hircine KAP8.2 gene may be a potential molecular marker for cashmere fibre diameter in cashmere goats. (Key Words : Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goats, Keratin Associated Protein 8.2, Polymorphisms, Fibre Traits, PCR-SSCP)
Highlights
Cashmere fibre diameter and cashmere weight are quantitative traits of economic importance in the cashmere goat industry
The high glycine-tyrosine (HGT) proteins in fibre vary significantly both within and between species ranging from 1% to 12% in sheep wool, 18% in mouse hair to more than 30% in echidna quill (Frenkel et al, 1974; Gillespie, 1990)
Where Yijkl is an observation of the dependent variable; μ is the population mean for the variable; Gi is the fixed effect of ith genotype
Summary
Cashmere fibre diameter and cashmere weight are quantitative traits of economic importance in the cashmere goat industry. It has been reported that allelic variation at the KAP8 locus and fibre diameter was significant associated in sheep (Parsons et al, 1994). This suggests that the KAP8 gene may play an important role in determining the phenotypes for different cashmere quality and production traits. The Inner Mongolian population of cashmere goats that vary in production traits among individuals and flocks (Zhou et PCR amplification and SSCP analysis al., 2003). It is one of the major cashmere goat breeds in PCR was performed to amplify sequences fragments of. KAP8.2 gene and to evaluate the association of these for 30 s, annealing (Table 1) for 30 s, 72°Cfor 30 s and a polymorphisms with cashmere fibre characteristics
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