Association analysis between genetic diversity of the melanocortin4 receptor (MC4R) gene and production traits in turkey

Fathi M., A.Hashemi, G. Elyasei Zarrin Ghobayi (2018): Association analysis between genetic diversity of the melanocortin4 receptor (MC4R) gene and production traits in Turkey.Genetika, Vol 50, No.2, 617-626. Melanocortin receptor (MC4R) plays an important role in central melanocortin system and regulating feeding behavior in humans and birds. The current study was designed to estimate the frequency of MC4R gene polymorphism and investigate if their polymorphisms have association with production traits Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) by PCR-SSCP method. For this purpose, a number of 100 turkeys were randomly chosen and blood samples were collected. DNA were extracted from blood samples, and amplified a fragment of 469 bp in size from MC4R gene. Single strand conformation polymorphism technique (SSCP) was used to determine genotypes. Electrophoresis of SSCP-PCR products on 6% polyacrylamide gel indicated that the polymorphism of the MC4R gene. Also, results of electrophoresis showed that three genotypes AA, AB and BB, with frequencies of 0.2397, 0.4998 and 0.2605, respectively. Shanon index, Nei index and observed heterozygosity with frequencies of 0.6929, 0.4998 and 0.5208, respectively.Significant associations (P<0.01) were obtained for genotypes with live body weight. But no significant relationship between the genotypes with egg performance (egg mass, mean egg weight and the number of eggs) is found. These results suggest that, the turkey MC4R gene can be selected as the major candidate gene for the carcass traits such as body weight, and at future more study is required to confirm these results in Turkey.