Polymorphisms in Myostatin Gene and Associations with Growth Traits in the Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Yanhong Sun,Xiaomu Yu,Jingou Tong

doi:10.3390/ijms131114956

Abstract

Myostatin (MSTN) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily that negatively regulates skeletal muscle development and growth. In the present study, partial genomic fragments of MSTN were screened for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in selected common carp individuals from wild populations, and two SNPs in intron 2 (c.371 + 749A > G, c.371 + 781T > C) and two synonymous SNPs in exon 3 (c.42A > G, c.72C > T) were identified. Genotyping by direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products for these four SNPs were performed in 162 individuals from a commercial hatchery population. Association analysis showed that two SNPs in exon 3 were significantly associated with body weight (BW) and condition factor (K), and haplotype analyses revealed that haplotype H7H8 showed better growth performance. Our results demonstrated that some of the SNPs in MSTN may have positive effects on growth traits and suggested that MSTN could be a candidate gene for growth and marker-assisted selection in common carp.

Highlights

Myostatin (MSTN), called GDF-8, belongs to the TGF-β superfamily
Alignment of the common carp MSTN fragments from ten unrelated individuals showed two mutations in intron 2 (c.371 + 749A > G, c.371 + 781T > C) and two synonymous mutations in exon 3 (c.42A > G, c.72C > T)
Our results showed that the two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in exon 3 of the MSTN gene may have a positive impact on the growth traits in common carp

Summary

Introduction

Myostatin (MSTN), called GDF-8, belongs to the TGF-β superfamily It is a growth factor expressed mainly in muscle that regulates development and growth by inhibiting cell cycle progression. Due to its role in regulating muscle development and growth, MSTN has been considered as an important candidate gene for productivity, growth and performance in domestic animals including pigs [2], sheep [3], chicken [4], rabbits [5], and some aquaculture species such as the bay scallop [6]. No further studies on MSTN polymorphisms and their possible association with growth traits have been reported in common carp. The aim of this study was to further explore the association of MSTN polymorphisms with growth traits in an aquacultured common carp population. This study is informative to evaluate MSTN as a candidate gene for marker-assisted selection (MAS) for growth in common carp

Results and Discussion

Experimental Section

Conclusion