A genetic marker in the growth hormone receptor gene associated with body weight in chickens.
A genomic clone spanning 16 kb of the GH receptor gene was mapped and used as a probe for identifying restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in chickens. Several strains of meat-type and egg laying chickens were found to segregate for an HindIII RFLP located in the intron preceding exon 4. The polymorphic HindIII site overlapped with a poly(A) signal. Association of the HindIII RFLP with traits was analyzed in a random-bred White Leghorn strain in three generations using either selective or random genotyping. Both methods revealed significant association of the HindIII+ allele (presence of the poly(A) signal) with an increased juvenile body weight (130 days of age). In two meat-type strains divergently selected for size of the abdominal fat pad, the HindIII+ allele was coselected with leanness. The results indicate the presence of a genetic variant of the GH receptor gene which affects growth and abdominal fat deposition and which is relatively frequent in egg laying as well as in meat-type chickens.
Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Quebec, Canada.
X P
XP
Feng
U
U
Kuhnlein
R W
RW
Fairfull
S E
SE
Aggrey
J
J
Yao
D
D
Zadworny
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001835:Body Weight / Q000235:genetics*; D002645:Chickens; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004247:DNA; D015247:Deoxyribonuclease HindIII; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005838:Genotype; D008460:Meat; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010063:Ovum; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin / Q000235:genetics*
D005819:Genetic Markers; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin; D004247:DNA; D015247:Deoxyribonuclease HindIII