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Genetic variants related to gap junctions and hormone secretion influence conception rates in cows.

Authors :
Sugimoto M
Sasaki S
Gotoh Y
Nakamura Y
Aoyagi Y
Kawahara T
Sugimoto Y
Source :
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A] 2013 Nov 26; Vol. 110 (48), pp. 19495-500. Date of Electronic Publication: 2013 Nov 11.
Publication Year :
2013

Abstract

The recent decline in fertility is a serious problem in the dairy industry. To overcome this problem, we performed a genome-wide association study using 384 Holsteins and identified four loci associated with conception rates. Two of them contained gap junction-related genes: PKP2 and CTTNBP2NL. Further analysis confirmed that PKP2 increased connexin 43, a gap junction protein, whereas CTTNBP2NL dephosphorylated connexin 43. Knockdown of PKP2 or overexpression of CTTNBP2NL inhibited embryo implantation in mice. The other two loci contained neuroendocrine-related genes: SETD6 and CACNB2. Additional experiments indicated that SETD6 is involved in the transcriptional regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, whereas CACNB2 controlled the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone in cattle. The total allele substitution effect of these genes on conception rate was 3.5%. Our findings reveal important roles for gap junction communication and the neuroendocrine system in conception and suggest unique selection methods to improve reproductive performance in the livestock industry.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1091-6490
Volume :
110
Issue :
48
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
24218568
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1309307110