Search

• The CNV of the HSF1 gene was detected in Ashidan yaks. • There were significant correlations between HSF1-CNV and growth traits of yaks. • The expression level of the HSF1 gene was variable in different tissues of yaks. Copy Number Variation (CNV) is the major manner for the variation of genome structure, which is associated with numerous important traits. The heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) gene is a stress response transcriptional regulator. It participates in the heat shock response, simultaneously participated in the development of tissue. The objective of this research was to explore the influence of CNV of the HSF1 gene on the growth traits of the Ashidan yak. In this study, the growth traits (withers height, body weight, chest girth, and body length) of 274 Ashidan yaks were divided into four stages (6, 12, 18, and 30 months old). Moreover, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was exploited for determining the HSF1 gene relative expression level, and SPSS software was utilized for the statistical analysis. The outcomes indicated that HSF1 -CNV was significantly associated with body length (p < 0.05) and was extremely significant associated with withers height (p < 0.01) of 18-month-old Ashidan yaks. Besides, the HSF1 relative expression in heart and muscle was higher than that existed in other tissues (p < 0.01). The outcomes suggested that the CNV of HSF1 gene would affect the growth and development of the Ashidan yak, which is conducive to the early breeding of yak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The CNV of the AHR gene was verified by the real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). • Copy number variations have greater effects on animal performance than single nucleotide polymorphisms. • AHR gene may be used as a new molecular marker in yak breeding. Copy number variation (CNV) is a principal genomic structure variation affecting the gene expression through the dose-effect and change of gene regulatory region. It plays an important role in regulating the various complex traits of vertebrates. The aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a member of ligand-dependent transcription factors which belong to the alkaline helix-loop-helix PASS family. It is used as a conservative environmental sensor during biological evolution. This study, tracked the growth data (body weight, withers height, body length, chest girth) of 332 yaks in four stages (6, 12, 18, and 30 months) were tracked. The CNV of the yaks was analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR, and the correlation between CNV of AHR and yak growth traits was analyzed using the SPSS and R software. The AHR gene expression profiles were assessed in different tissues of the 18-month-old yak. The statistical analysis indicated the AHR -CNV of the Ashidan yak to significantly correlate with the body length (P < 0.05), and was found to be correlated with the withers height at 18 months old (P < 0.01) with extreme significance. To sum up, this study for the first time discussed the relationship between AHR -CNV and the growth traits of the Ashidan yak. The results indicated that the AHR gene might become a new molecular marker in the breeding yak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The CNV of the HPGDS gene was detected in yak. • The expression level of the HPGDS gene was variable in different tissues of yaks. • The HPGDS gene was highly expressed in the spleen and lung of all ages. • There were significant correlations between HPGDS -CNV and growth traits of yaks. Copy number variation (CNV) is a structural variation at the submicroscopic level of the genome, which can affect gene-related phenotypes by changing genes dosage and transcript structure. Hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (HPGDS) is a member whose functions are closely related to weight gain and inflammatory diseases of the glutathione S-transferase (GSTs) family. In this study, the growth characteristics (body weight, withers height, body length, and chest girth) of 336 Ashidan yaks were monitored at four stages (6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 30 months). In addition, CNV of the HPGDS gene was detected, discovered relationships of CNV with growth traits, and explored the level of gene expression. Based on the statistical analysis by IBM SPSS software, significant correlations were observed between HPGDS -CNV and body weight in 12-month-old yak (P < 0.01), 18-month-old yak (P < 0.001) and 30-month-old yak (P < 0.001) and body length in 18-month-old yak (P < 0.05) and 30-month-old yak (P < 0.05), respectively. Additionally, the individuals with gain copy number type performed better in body weight and body length than those with normal or loss copy number type. To our best of knowledge, this is the first time to make efforts to probe into the role of HPGDS -CNV and its interaction with livestock growth traits. Our results suggested that the CNV of the HPGDS gene may be an active candidate gene for the marker-assisted selection (MAS) of yaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]