Genetic structure of the herd by genes GDF9, GH, CAST in merino sheep of the North Caucasus region of Russia

Abstract

One of the main tasks in sheep breeding is to increase productivity. The use of DNA markers for the selection of animals containing the desired alleles of genes of economically valuable traits is one of the new scientific approaches to solving this problem. The aim of the work was to study the genetic structure of sheep of various breeds by genes GDF9, GH, CAST. The studies were carried out on the basis of the laboratory of molecular diagnostics and biotechnology of farm animals of the Don State Agrarian University and the Center for the collective use of scientific equipment “Bioresources and bioengineering of farm animals” of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Animal Husbandry named after academician L.K. Ernst. To carry out molecular genetic studies, samples of ear pits (tissue from the auricle) with an area of 1 cm2 were taken from sheep. The evaluation was carried out by PCR-RFLP method. As a result of DNA genotyping for genes GDF9, GH, CAST, the genetic structure of sheep of such breeds as: Salskaya, Stavropol, Volgograd and Soviet merino was revealed. A and B allelic variants of the GDF9 gene, alleles A and B of the GH gene, alleles A and B of the CAST gene were identified in all studied groups of sheep. Analysis of the data revealed the breed aspect in the distribution of the allele and genotype frequencies of the GDF9, GH, CAST genes in the populations under consideration.