Paired box 7 (Pax7) gene: molecular characterisation, polymorphism and its association with growth performance in goose (Anser cygnoides).

1. Paired box (Pax7) gene is a member of the paired box family and plays a critical role in animal growth and muscle development. However, the molecular characterisation of the goosePax7gene is unknown. 2. The open-reading frame of goosePax7is composed of 1509 bp, which encodes a protein of 503 amino acids and shares high homology with Pax7 of other birds. 3. Ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in the genomic DNA sequence, 8 located in the intron region and two located in the exon region. 4. Association analysis showed the C122T locus was significantly associated with the body weight of Zhedong-White geese in week 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12. 5. It was concluded that the goosePax7gene may be an important candidate gene for goose growth traits and marker-assisted selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]