Genetic effects of polymorphisms in the prolactin receptor gene on chicken reproductive traits.

摘要

Prolactin receptor (PRLR) is a single transmembrane protein through which prolactin plays a wide variety of physiological roles in vertebrates. Markers of alleles for the PRLR gene were assessed for the association with six reproductive traits (bodyweight at first egg; egg weight at first egg; age at first egg; number of eggs at 300 days of age; bodyweight at 300 days of age; and egg weight at 300 days of age) in a single generation of the Erlang Mountain Chicken. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms were detected in the PRLR gene by sequencing pooled DNA samples. Genotypes were identified using PCR-single strand conformational polymorphism and direct PCR-sequencing methods. The GLM procedure was used to estimate the association between genotypes and reproductive traits. The results showed that at the P1 locus, individuals with genotype TT had shorter age at first egg and greater number of eggs at 300 days of age than those with genotype CC (P<0.01). Our findings suggest that the single-nucleotide polymorphism g.-14A > G at P1 locus could be a potential genetic marker for age at first egg and number of eggs at 300 days of age in the Erlang Mountain Chicken and haplotype ATGTT might be advantageous for reproductive traits.