Effects of g.10329C>T polymorphism in the SCD gene with milk production traits in Bangladeshi cattle: evidence from mutant protein function analysis

This study aimed to pinpoint the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene that is notably linked to milk production traits and to evaluate the structural and functional consequences of mutant proteins. Through pooled DNA sequencing, five SNPs were identified within the SCD gene. Among these, only one exonic SNP (g.10329C>T) was non-synonymous, resulting in an amino acid change from alanine to valine in the protein. Structural and functional analysis of the g.10329C>T mutation revealed discernible differences between wild-type and mutant proteins, indicating consequential effects on the observed phenotype. Subsequently, this identified SNP was genotyped in 100 milking cows for association analysis. The SNP g.10329C>T demonstrated significant allele substitution effects on milk yield traits. These findings suggest that the identified polymorphism (g.10329C>T) influences milk yield traits within the studied population and could serve as a genetic marker for cattle selection processes aimed at enhancing productivity with proper validation.