Study of alternative splicing in LEPR, PRLR, GHR genes of cattle in terms of milk productivity

Specific genes LEPR, PRLR, GHR of cattle are part of the complex of milk productivity, the indicators of which, when evaluating animals, are given great importance (milk yield, content of mass fraction of protein and fat in milk). The review considers topical issues of the functional activity of genes mediated by alternative splicing, during which some functional mutations are possible that are directly responsible for differences in phenotypes. The available data about alternatively spliced variants of mRNA transcripts of the PRLR, GHR and LEPR genes indicate that two isoforms of the PRLR gene have been identified (l-PRLR and s-PRLR), changes in the ratio of which, inter alia, affect the expression of ?-casein, which is one of the milk proteins. GHR exists as two isoforms (fl-GHR and d3-GHR), which are widespread in most populations, and six LEPR isoforms (LEPRa - LEPRf) have been identified in LEPR, while in the long isoform LEPRb mutations are associated with obesity and pituitary dysfunction and the roles of the rest isoforms remain undefined. Disclosure in further studies of mutations and indicators of changes in proportions in isoforms specific for milk productivity can be considered as new and most effective molecular genetic markers.