Effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 5′-flanking region of heat shock protein 70.2 gene on semen quality in boars

Abstract

This study aims to elucidate the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 5′-flanking region of porcine heat shock protein 70.2 gene ( HSP70.2) on semen quality in boars. Genomic DNA isolated from 55 boars (41 Duroc, nine Landrace, and five Yorkshire) was subjected to PCR amplification of the 5′-flanking region of HSP70.2. The nucleotide sequences were determined by automated sequencing. Five SNPs (sites 44, 232, 250, 345, and 393) were detected in this region. Semen quality was evaluated in terms of sperm motility, percentage of normal sperm, percentage of sperm with proximal plasma droplet, percentage of abnormal sperm, sperm concentration, semen volume per ejaculate and total sperm number per ejaculate. The effect of the SNPs on semen quality was evaluated based on breed-corrected data within a season. During the cool season, the sperm motility of boars with AA genotype at the 232 site was significantly higher than that of boars with CC genotype ( P<0.05). Meanwhile, boars with AC genotype at the 232 site had higher total sperm number per ejaculate than did those with CC genotype. In the hot season, heterozygotes at both the 232 and 250 sites had significantly higher total sperm number of per ejaculate than AA homozygotes ( P<0.05). Semen volume of boars with TT and TC genotypes at the 345 site was significantly larger than that of those with CC genotype ( P<0.05). Meanwhile, semen quality for boars with TT genotype at the 345 site was significantly higher than that of boars with TC or CC genotype ( P<0.05), that is the semen contained higher percentages of normal sperm and lower percentages of abnormal sperm or sperm with proximal plasma droplets. Results herein suggest that the SNPs in the 5′-flanking region of porcine HSP70.2 are associated with semen quality traits in the hot season.