Characterisation of exon 9 of solute carrier family 11 member A1 gene in Vechur cattle

The solute carrier family 11 member A1 (SLC11A1) gene has been associated with natural resistance to intracellular pathogens such as Brucella, Salmonella, Leishmania and Mycobacterium in several species including bovine and plays a critical role in elimination of pathogens by generating hydroxyl free radicals. The objective of the present study was to investigate the polymorphism in exon 9 of SLC11A1 gene in Vechur cattle, one of the dwarf cattle of India which is known for its disease resistance. A 198 bp fragment containing exon 9 of the gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplicons upon single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis revealed two different banding patterns. A novel non synonymous SNP (g.46C>T) with predominance of CC genotype was also detected in Vechur cattle. These results suggest that there exists a considerable genetic variation at SLC11A1 locus and further association studies may help in development of a PCR based genotyping assay to select cattle with better immunity to intracellular pathogens.