Abstract
Components of the GH/IGF1 endocrine axis regulate growth and reproductive traits in cattle. The pro-melanin-concentrating hormone (PMCH) gene located within chromosome 5 belongs to this axis. Objective herein was to evaluate PMCH single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as molecular markers associated with age at first calving, calving interval, and age at second calving in Angus and Brangus beef heifers raised in desert conditions. Five SNPs within the PMCH gene were included in the study. Three of these SNPs had minor allele frequency > 10% and only one SNP did not deviate from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. A genotype to phenotype association analyses was performed using a mixed-effects model which included phenotype as the response variable, SNP genotype, breed, year of birth and age of dam as fixed terms, and sire as a random effect. Genotypes from the SNP rs135033882 were found to be associated (P < 0.05) with all evaluated fertility traits, and the term breed resulted as a significant source of variation only for age at second calving. The allele A was the favorable allele because it decreased the age at first calving 98.6 days, the calving interval 85.3 days, and the age at second calving 183.1 days, in Angus and Brangus heifers. In conclusion, we proposed a SNP within the PMCH gene as a potential candidate marker associated with reproductive performance in Angus and Brangus beef heifers raised in a desert climate.
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Data availability statement
All data used in this study will be presented upon request.
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Acknowledgements
We thank personnel and workers from the former USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Subtropical Agricultural Research Station, Brooksville, Florida, for cattle management and data collection.
Funding
Financial support for this work was provided by USDA-Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service-National Research Initiative (Washington, DC) projects 2005–35205-15453 to JFM and 2006–35205-16651 and 2008–35205-18751 to MGT.
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M.G.T. conceived and designed research, reviewed, and edited the manuscript. M.G.T. and J.F.M. acquired funding and contributed new reagents. M.G.T., D.G.R., and P.L.N. conducted experiments. N.I.A.V. and P.L.N. analyzed data. P.L.N. wrote the manuscript. J.R.R.G. and C.M.A.T. reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.
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Institutional USDA animal ethics guidelines were followed during the experiment. All animal procedures were in accordance with the recommendations of the Guide for Use of Agricultural Animals in Teaching and Research of the Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS, 2010).
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Angulo-Valenzuela, N.I., Thomas, M.G., Riley, D.G. et al. A SNP within the PMCH gene as a molecular marker associated with fertility traits in Angus and Brangus beef heifers raised under a desert environment. Trop Anim Health Prod 53, 355 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02794-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02794-0