title: Effect of variation in ovine WFIKKN2 on growth traits appears to be gender-dependent.
abstract: WFIKKN2 may play a role in the regulation of muscle growth and development, but to date there have been no reports on the effect of variation in WFIKKN2 on growth and carcass traits in livestock. In this study, the effect of variation in ovine WFIKKN2 was investigated in 800 New Zealand Romney lambs (395 male and 405 female), with five previously described variants (A to E) being identified. Variation in ovine WFIKKN2 was not found to affect various growth traits in the female lambs, but the presence of variant B was associated (P < 0.05) with decreased birth weight, tailing weight, weaning weight and pre-weaning growth rate; and increased post-weaning growth rate in male lambs. In male lambs, the presence of variant B was associated (P < 0.05) with an increased shoulder yield and proportion shoulder yield. No associations with growth or carcass traits were detected for the presence (or absence) of the other variants. These results suggest that variation in ovine WFIKKN2 may have a differential effect on growth in male and female lambs, and hence that the gene may be expressed in, or act in, a gender-specific fashion.
authors.affiliation: 1] Gansu Key Laboratory of Herbivorous Animal Biotechnology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China [2] Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
authors.forename: Jiqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1] Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China [2] Gene-Marker Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Huitong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Gene-Marker Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: 1] Gansu Key Laboratory of Herbivorous Animal Biotechnology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China [2] Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
authors.forename: Xiu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 1] Gansu Key Laboratory of Herbivorous Animal Biotechnology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China [2] Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
authors.forename: Yuzhu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Gene-Marker Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jon G H
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hickford
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000235:genetics; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D010641:Phenotype; D012756:Sheep / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins