Body Morphometric Traits Research Articles

Are two beneficial mutations (p.Q249R and 90-bp Indel) within the ovine BMPRIB gene associated with growth traits?

The problem of achieving economic efficiency in sheep breeding can be largely solved by increasing sheep productivity. Recently, the BMPRIB gene has been revealed by GWAS as a potential candidate gene for sheep body morphometric traits. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms (p.Q249R SNP and 90-bp deletion) in the BMPRIB gene are associated with sheep growth traits. PCR-based genotyping was performed on 1,875 sheep, including 1,191 Guiqian semi-fine wool (GQSFW), 560 Luxi Blackhead (LXBH), 55 Lanzhou fat-tailed (LZFT), and 69 Weining (WN) sheep. Genotype-phenotype association was assessed using the independent samples t-test and ANOVA. The significance level was set at αoriginal < 0.05. The threshold p-value for significance was adjusted after correction for multiple comparisons using the Bonferroni correction. After the Bonferroni correction, it was found that individuals with FecB+/FecB+ genotypes of the p.Q249R had significantly better growth traits in LXBH ewe lambs, including the body length, chest width, paunch girth, cannon circumference, and hip width (P<0.0005). Meanwhile, associations were observed between 90-bp deletion polymorphism and several growth traits (body length, body height, chest depth, and canon circumference) in GQSFW ewe adults after the Bonferroni correction (P < 0.0002), and individuals with the "DD" genotypes had greater growth traits. Our findings align with the experimental observations from GWAS, which identified the BMPRIB gene as a potential candidate gene for body measurement traits. These findings not only confirm the previous study's results but also expand on them. Therefore, further investigations regarding the impact of BMPRIB polymorphisms on growth traits are necessary in other sheep breeds.

The ovine HIAT1 gene: mRNA expression, InDel mutations, and growth trait associations.

The hippocampal abundant transcript 1 (HIAT1) gene, also known as major facilitator superfamily domain-containing 14A (MFSD14A), encodes for a transmembrane transporter protein and has been previously shown to be associated with milk production in buffalo and sheep breeds, as well as growth traits in chicken and goats. However, tissue level distribution of the ovine HIAT1 gene, as well as its effect on body morphometric traits in sheep, has yet to be studied. The HIAT1 mRNA expression profile of Lanzhou fat-tailed (LFT) sheep was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). A total of 1498 sheep of three indigenous Chinese sheep breeds were PCR-genotyped for polymorphisms of HIAT1 gene. Student's t-test was used to observe the association between the genotype and sheep morphometric traits. HIAT1 was widely expressed in all examined tissues, and was particularly abundant in the testis of male LFT sheep. Additionally, a 9-bp insertion mutation (rs1089950828) located within the 5'-upstream region of HIAT1 was investigated in Luxi black-headed (LXBH) sheep and Guiqian semi-fine wool (GSFW) sheep. The wildtype allele frequency 'D' was found to be more prevalent than that of the mutant allele 'I'. Furthermore, low genetic diversity was confirmed in all sampled sheep populations. Subsequent association analyses indicated an association between the 9-bp InDel mutation of interest and the morphometric traits of LXBH and GSFW sheep. Furthermore, yearling ewes with a heterozygous genotype (ID) demonstrated smaller body sizes, while yearling rams and adult ewes with the heterozygous genotype were found to have overall better growth performance. These findings imply that functional InDel polymorphism (rs1089950828) has the potential to be utilized for marker-assisted selection (MAS) of growth traits in domestic Chinese sheep populations.

Are Copy Number Variations within the FecB Gene Significantly Associated with Morphometric Traits in Goats?

Simple SummaryThe Booroola fecundity (FecB) gene, as a major fertility-related gene in sheep, is currently attracting considerable attention. While first discovered in sheep, determining whether FecB is a vital gene in goats has recently become a major research interest. Contemporary research has addressed this issue and discovered that several FecB variations in goats are significantly associated with litter size in goats. Given that growth development is positively associated with litter size, FecB may also exert a significant effect on goat morphometric traits. Five copy number variations (CNVs) of the FecB gene were tested in Shaanbei white cashmere (SBWC, n = 318), Guizhou Heima (GZHM, n = 203), and Nubian (n = 120) goats, all of which were significantly associated with body morphometric traits in the Shaanbei white cashmere goats (p < 0.05). Notably, individuals with the normal type of CNV3 consistently displayed a superior phenotype in litter size and morphometric traits, which allows its use as an effective marker for goat breeding.The Booroola fecundity (FecB) gene is a major fertility-related gene first identified in Booroola sheep. Numerous studies have investigated whether the FecB gene is a major fecundity gene in goats or whether there are other genes that play a critical role in goat fertility. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to the role of the FecB gene in the body morphometric traits of goats, despite the positive relationship discerned between litter size and growth. We identified five copy number variations (CNVs) within the FecB gene in 641 goats, including 318 Shaanbei white cashmere (SBWC) goats, 203 Guizhou Heima (GZHM) goats, and 120 Nubian goats, which exhibited different distributions among these populations. Our results revealed that these five CNVs were significantly associated with goat morphometric traits (p < 0.05). The normal type of CNV3 was the dominant type and displayed superior phenotypes in both litter size and morphometric traits, making it an effective marker for goat breeding. Consequently, LD blocks in the region of 10 Mb upstream and downstream from FecB and potential transcription factors (TFs) that could bind with the CNVs were analyzed via bioinformatics. Although no significant LD block was detected, our results illustrated that these CNVs could bind to growth-related TFs and indirectly affect the growth development of the goats. We identified potential markers to promote litter size and growth, and we offer a theoretical foundation for further breeding work.

Association of OLR1 gene polymorphism with live body weight and body morphometric traits in Awassi ewes: short communication.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (OLR1) is an endothelial receptor that binds and degrades oxidized low-density lipoproteins (Ox-LDL), thus having a physiological role in metabolism. Polymorphisms in the OLR1 gene are associated with animals with different production traits. Due to this, the study aimed to determine if OLR1 polymorphisms in Awassi ewes associate with live body weight and body measurement. In this study, 200 ewes between the ages of 2.5 and 5years, not pregnant or lactating, were selected. Phenotypic measurements including live body weight and body measurements were collected. A sheep's blood was collected to extract genomic DNA, genotyped, and sequenced to confirm the presence of the variants that arose from the amplified fragments. One novel C246A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was identified in the OLR1 gene (exon 3) that assigned two genotypes CC and CA. The study indicated significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) in live body weight and body measurements of the genotype CC compared with the genotype CA. The genotype CC correlated positively with live body weight, height at shoulder, height at hip, chest girth, and chest width (r = 0.67, P = 0.02), (r = 0.54, P = 0.03), (r = 0.61, P = 0.02), (r = 0.53, P = 0.01) and (r = 0.66, P = 0.04) respectively. Sheep with the CC genotype had a higher live body weight and larger body measurement, making them better for productivity. These genotypic data and associations can be used to better select sheep for future marker-assisted selection programs.

Genetic polymorphisms within the ETAA1 gene associated with growth traits in Chinese sheep breeds.

Ewing tumor-associated antigen 1 (ETAA1) is an important candidate gene for fat deposition in sheep. This study aimed to investigate the indel variations in the ETAA1gene and their associations with growth traits in the 1619sheep. The polymorphism information content of this indel ranged from 0.308 to 0.375, with medium genetic diversity (0.25 ≤ polymorphism information content ≤ 0.5). The correlation analysis showed that an 8-bp insertion within the ETAA1gene was significantly associated with growth traits in Luxi Blackhead sheep (LXBH), Lanzhou fat-tailed sheep, Hu sheep, Tong sheep, and Tan sheep (p<0.05). Furthermore, the ETAA1gene was significantly associated with several growth traits (p<0.01), such as chest width and paunch girth of LXBH, Tong, and Tan rams. It was significantly related to the body morphometric traits of LXBH, Lanzhou fat-tailed sheep, Hu, Tong, and Tan ewes. In conclusion, the detected 8-bp indel within the ETAA1gene was confirmed in sheep, significantly affecting the growth traits, and might be a potential DNA marker for the selection of high-quality individuals in marker-assisted selection for sheep breeding.

An insertion/deletion within the CREB1 gene identified using the RNA-sequencing is associated with sheep body morphometric traits

In a previous study, the cyclic AMP response element-binding protein 1 (CREB1) gene, which is likely involved in the regulation of fat metabolism in sheep adipose tissue, was identified using RNA sequencing. CREB1 is a transcription factor that participates in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival as well as energy metabolism. Therefore, based on preliminary studies, this study aimed to reveal the correlation between the insertion/deletion (indel) polymorphism of the CREB1 gene and sheep growth traits. One insertion variation of the ovine CREB1 gene, C3-ins-26bp, was investigated in 1847 Chinese and Mongolian sheep breeds. The minor allele frequencies in the CREB1 gene varied from 0.021 to 0.938. Further, statistical analyses indicated that the C3-ins-26bp indel in the CREB1 gene was significantly related to various body measurements (body length, height, and index; chest width, depth, and width index; cannon circumference index; and height at the hip cross) in a Tan sheep population (p<0.05). Collectively, these findings may provide important insights into marker-assisted selection of sheep.

Determinants of Major Body Morphometric Traits of Khari Goat Kids (Capra hircus L.) in Nawalpur District, Nepal

This study was carried out aiming at studying the non-genetic determinants affecting three major body morphological traits of Khari goats in Nawalparasi, Nepal. Body length, wither height and heart girth at the age of birth, weaning, nine months and fifteen months of 1260 kids born from 1005 does were measured and analyzed using fixed effect Least Square Mixed Model and Maximum Likelihood Computer Program (LSMMML PC-2). Significantly different means of body length, wither height and heart girth were between different sub-classes of non-genetic factors compared using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) computer software. Findings revealed that overall mean wither height of kids ranged from 28.84±0.59 cm at birth to 61.95±1.03 cm at fifteen months, respectively. Similarly, overall mean hearth girth of kids varied from 29.62±0.58 cm at to 65.04±1.17 cm at fifteen months’ age, respectively. Overall mean body length of Khari goat kids was at birth, weaning, nine months and fifteen months’ age was determined 28.09±0.67 cm at birth and reached to 59.96±0.98 cm at fifteen months’ age. Altitude, coat color, kidding season, dam’s parity, dam’s size, sex and birth type of kids were the important sources of variation (p&lt;0.05 to &lt;0.001) with respect to wither height, hearth girth and body length of kids at most of the stages of growth in case Nepalese hill goats. Thus, the results of present study help describe indigenous Khari goat breed using the phenotypic values of morphometric traits such as body length, heart girth and wither height which may be useful to estimate the phenological variations within breed.

A 17-bp InDel (rs668420586) within goat CHCHD7 gene located in growth-related QTL affecting body measurement traits.

The Coiled-Coil-Helix-Coiled-Coil-Helix Domain Containing 7 (CHCHD7) gene was located in a growth-related major QTL that participated in the process of bone cells metabolism in animals by regulating mitochondrial copper homeostasis and cytochrome C oxidase assembly. Therefore, we speculated that CHCHD7 gene might be involved in animal growth and body size. Herein, we discovered a 17-bp insertion/deletion (indel) within the goat CHCHD7 gene. Then, we detected this variation in Shaanbei White Cashmere (SBWC, n = 1055) goats and Inner Mongolia White Cashmere (IMWC, n = 743) goats (Alathai type) using the mathematical expectation (ME) method. We then analyzed the correlation between these genotypes and goat body measurement traits. The results showed that the minor allelic frequency (MAF) was 0.011 in SBWC, and 0.048 in IMWC. In SBWC and IMWC, the reaction time by ME method was reduced by 36.78% and 27.59%, respectively, compared to the traditional method of screening samples one by one. Moreover, in SBWC goats, the 17-bp indel was significantly associated with body measurement traits (e.g. body height, and body length) in adults. In IMWC goats, the 17-bp indel was correlated with body measurement traits (e.g. body height) in weaners. In SBWC and IMWC goat populations, the body measurement traits of the individuals homozygous for 17-bp indel were higher than those in heterozygous individuals, except for the case of cannon circumference in IMWC weaners. These findings showed that the 17-bp insertion mutation within the goat CHCHD7 gene significantly affected body morphometric traits, and could provide a basis for marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding of cashmere goats.

Detecting novel Indel variants within the GHR gene and their associations with growth traits in Luxi Blackhead sheep

The growth hormone is important in the regulation of metabolism and energy homeostasis and acts through a growth hormone receptor (GHR). In this work, genetic variations within the ovine GHR gene were identified and tested for associations with body morphometric traits in Chinese Luxi Blackhead (LXBH) sheep. Novel deletion loci in the LXBH GHR gene included P2-del-23 bp and P8-del-23 bp indel variants. The polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.329 in P2-del-23 bp and 0.257 in P8-del-23 bp. Moreover, both indel polymorphisms were not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p < 0.05) in the LXBH population. Statistical analyses revealed that the P2-del-23 bp and P8-del-23 bp indels were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with several growth traits in rams and ewes, including body weight, body height, chest depth, chest width, chest circumference, cannon circumference, paunch girth and hip width. Among the tested sheep, the body traits of those with genotype DD were superior to those with II and ID genotypes, suggesting that the ‘D’ allele was responsible for the positive effects on growth traits. Thus, these results indicate that the P2-del-23 bp and P8-del-23 bp indel sites and the DD genotype can be useful in marker-assisted selection in sheep.

Hemoparasites and their relation to body condition and plumage coloration of the White-necked thrush (Turdus albicollis)

Hemoparasites can affect wild birds in numerous ways, but the role of infection occurrence and intensity on bird physiology and morphology is still little known. Secondary sexual characters such as bird body size and plumage coloration are some of the traits which may indicate individual condition because they are negatively affected by parasites and thus ultimately influence mate choice. In this study, we tested if hemoparasite occurrence and infection intensity are negatively related to morphological traits, immunological stress condition and plumage coloration brightness of the White-necked thrush Turdus albicollis. We captured and banded birds, identified age, took body measurements and took a picture of their ventral surface to calculate throat and collar feather brightness. We prepared blood smears to count leukocytes and to detect hemoparasites, using both microscopy and PCR to amplify haemosporidians’ DNA. We detected haemosporidians, microfilaria and Trypanosoma in blood smears. Both microfilaria and haemosporidian intensities were negatively related to body mass, and only the second was related to age. Interestingly, haemosporidians’ occurrence positively affected throat brightness. In our study population, parasites (microfilaria and haemosporidians) are likely affecting White-necked thrush health such that infected individuals with higher throat brightness might be tolerant to haemosporidians. In conclusion, our results indicate that body morphometric traits and plumage coloration of the White-necked thrush population can be used as a visual indicator of parasite resistance.

Multivariate analysis of body morphometric traits in conjunction with performance of reproduction and milk traits in crossbred progeny of Murrah × Jafarabadi buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in North-Eastern Brazil.

We studied the relationship between body morphometric traits, and their underlying association with milk production (MP), lactation length (LL), first calving interval (FCI) and subsequent calving interval (CI) of crossbred progeny of Murrah × Jafarabadi buffalo aiming to assist in selection programs. We carried out principal component analysis (PCA) of the body morphometric traits, which include breast width (BW), thigh width (THW), hip width (HW), rump width (RW), rump length (RL), body depth (BD), body length (BL), height withers (HEW), rear height (RH), shoulder width (SW), thorax width (TW), loin width (LW), distance from the head to ischium (DHI), and thoracic perimeter (TP). We determined the association of morphometric traits with milk/reproduction traits using canonical correlation analysis (CCA). The analysis revealed that the first six PCA accounted for 82.14% of the total observed variation, and the traits THW, HW, TW, LW, RW, HEW, TP, RH, and BW, accounted for almost half (48.00%) of the total variance indicating a higher contribution in body structural conformation. The first canonical function was significant (p<0.05), accounted for 72.46% of the total variance, and the canonical correlation was 0.56, indicating the dependence between both groups of traits. Higher canonical loadings were obtained for LL (0.49), FCI (0.46), BW (-0.71), BL (-0.56), DHI (-0.34), HEW, (-0.38) and TP (-0.50). These traits were most important for the derivation of canonical statistical variables, and presented a higher canonical correlations (r) between the dependent (LL/FCI) and independent (BW, BL, DHI, HEW and TP) groups. The results could suggest that the body morphometric traits THW, HW, TW, LW, RW, HEW, BD, TP, RH, and BW could play important role in body structural composition, indicating a suitable functional type, and aid designing of selection programs for buffalo breeding.

Insertion/deletion (InDel) variations in sheep PLAG1 gene locating in growth-related major QTL are associated with adult body weight and morphometric traits

Pleiomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1), locating in growth-related QTNs, was identified significantly affecting the body size of bovine, pig and mouse, while, the relationship between its genetic variation and ovine body size is still unknown. Here, two insertion/deletion (indel) loci of ovine PLAG1, including P1-del30bp and P5-del45bp, were investigated in 774 sheep from five breeds. The minor allele frequencies (MAF) of above indels were ranged from 0.093 to 0.276. The frequency of genotype DD in P1-del30bp site was significantly higher than others. As for P5-del45bp, the frequency of II genotype was higher than others. Moreover, the polymorphism information content (PIC) values of P1-del30bp and P5-del45bp was from 0.284 to 0.320 and 0.154 to 0.318 in these ovine breeds, respectively, which reflect relative high genetic diversity in sheep PLAG1. By Linkage disequilibrium (LD) test, the two indels were in strong linkage disequilibrium in D’ value, while the result of r2 test was opposite. The correlation analysis results showed that these indels of PLAG1 were significantly associated with 13 body morphometric traits especially body weight (P < 0.05). At P1-del30bp locus, it had higher significant correlation with chest width in LFTS ewe and cannon circumference index in Hu ewe (P < 0.01). At P5-del45bp locus, the cannon circumference in Lanzhou fat-tail sheep ewe, hip height of Tong ram and chest depth of Tan ram were higher significant (P < 0.01). These results demonstrated that the indel variants of sheep PLAG1 had associated with the body weight and morphometric traits of adult sheep, and these loci can be considered as molecular markers for sheep breeding.

Comparative study on some morphological and performance traits of Hill cattle, Sahiwal and crossbred cattle

A total of 720 animals were selected comprising of 260 Sahiwal (SC), 260 Crossbred (CB) and 200 Hill cattle (HC) of different age and sex to study body morphometric and performance traits. There was a significant (P?0.05) difference between body morphometric traits between Hill cattle and Sahiwal as well as between Hill cattle and crossbreds. Estimates of almost all the body morphometric traits in all the age groups were significantly (P?0.05) lower in Hill cattle than rest two groups (Sahiwal and crossbreds). The estimates of these traits were statistically indifferent between Sahiwal and crossbreds cattle except in greater than 36 months age group, where these were significantly (P?0.05) higher for crossbreds. Age at first calving was significantly (P?0.05) lower in crossbreds than indigenous breeds while as service period was lowest in Hill cows and maximum in Sahiwal cows. Dry period and calving interval were significantly (P?0.05) highest in Sahiwal cows.

Morphometric analysis of indigenous, exotic and crossbred chickens (&lt;i&gt;gallus domesticus&lt;/i&gt; L.) In Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Context: The quantification of morphometric variations has been regarded as peripheral to the mechanistic study of development of a species. This is now changing because the rapidly advancing knowledge of development in post-genomic biology is creating a need for more refined measurements of the morphometric changes produced by genetic perturbations or treatments. Objective: To estimate the age at marketable size and body morphometric parameters of indigenous, exotic and crossbred chicken to use such parameters as discriminate variables and to investigate the relationships among the variables of the chicken breeds under study. Materials and Methods: Six chicken breeds namely an indigenous (non descriptive, Deshi), four exotics as Broiler, Cockerel, Fayoumi and RIR, and a crossbred called Sonali (RIR?× Fayoumi?), were used for the study. Results: Age and nine morphometric parameters viz., gross weight (GW), blood weight (BW), feather weight (FW), skin weight (SW), body weight after skinning (BWS), visceral weight (VW), offal weight (OW), net edible weight (NEW) and edible ratio (ER), were determined from a total of 30 adult chickens (6 breeds _ 5 replicates each). All the parameters except FW showed significant differences among the breeds (P&lt;0.01). RIR showed the highest values for all parameters except ER, which was the highest in Cockerel (1.77±0.23) and the lowest in RIR (1.47±0.01). Association between GW and NEW was statistically significant in Indigenous (P&lt;0.001), Sonali (P&lt;0.01) and all exotics except Broiler (P&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Present results indicate that Cockerel, Fayoumi, Indigenous and Sonali chickens are advantageous genotypes as they had higher ER values compared to Broiler and RIR breeds. Keywords: Gallus domesticus; body morphometric traits; net edible weight; edible ratio DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbs.v18i0.8782 JBS 2010; 18(0): 94-98