Investigation of genetic effect of growth hormone gene on antler production in Chinese Sika deer Cervus nippon

Abstract

Antler is one of the most important products of Sika deer (Cervus nippon) and has great economic values. The genetic mechanisms and genetic markers associated with antler growth of Sika deer have been rarely reported. In the present study, the growth hormone (GH) gene was analyzed as a candidate gene for antler growth in Chinese Sika deer. Partial sequence of GH exon3 and 5 of Sika deer were obtained and four novel SNPs (ss325995760, ss325995761, ss325995762 and ss325995763) were then identified. Genotyping of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were implemented in both Shuangyang Sika deer (n = 69) and Dongfeng Sika deer (n = 90) using PCR-RFLP or DNA sequencing approaches, and association between different genotypes and anlter weight traits were analyzed. The SNP ss325995760 was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with average antler yield in Shuangyang Sika deer while it was not associated in Dongfeng Sika deer. However, other three SNPs were not associated with the traits. The preliminary result implied that the identified SNPs of GH gene could be considered one of the candidate markers for marker assisted selection in Sika deer but further studies are warranted. Key words: Sika deer, growth hormone, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)association, antler.