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. 2025 May 8;15(10):1358.
doi: 10.3390/ani15101358.

Effect of GnRHR, BMP6 and FSHR Gene Pyramiding on Litter Traits of Goats

Xinyue Yang  1   2 , Yaokun Li  1 , Baoli Sun  1 , Yongqing Guo  1 , Ming Deng  1 , Dewu Liu  1 , Guangbin Liu  1
Affiliations

Effect of GnRHR, BMP6 and FSHR Gene Pyramiding on Litter Traits of Goats

Xinyue Yang et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Many studies have shown that only a few breeds of goat have the trait of high fertility, and genes play an important role in regulating litter size. This study investigated the effects of GnRHR, BMP6, and FSHR gene polymorphisms on litter traits in four goat breeds (Chongqing black, Chuanzhong black, Leizhou, and Nubian). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (g.75G > A in GnRHR, g.951T > C in BMP6, and g.-112C > T/g.3236C > A in FSHR) were genotyped using PCR-RFLP/HRM in 959 goats. Association analysis revealed significant correlations between these SNPs and litter size in the Chongqing, Chuanzhong, and Leizhou breeds, with genotypes AA (GnRHR), CC (BMP6), TT (FSHR), and AA (FSHR) linked to higher prolificacy. Polygene polymerizing effect analysis identified the optimal combinations (e.g., AATTCC, AACCAACC) with enhanced litter sizes. Tissue-specific qPCR in Chuanzhong goats showed GnRHR, BMP6, and FSHR were significantly more highly expressed in reproductive tissues (pituitary, breast, ovary, oviduct) of the prolific group than those in the non-prolific group. These SNPs serve as potential molecular markers for improving goat litter traits through polygenic selection, emphasizing the synergistic impact of multi-gene interactions on prolificacy.

Keywords: BMP6; FSHR; GnRHR; litter size; pyramiding effect.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PCR amplification results of primers: (A) primer GnRHR, (B) primer BMP6, (C) primer FSHR-T1, (D) primer FSHR-T2. The numbers 1 to 8 denote the amplified fragment; M means DNA molecular weight marker (DL1000).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The sequencing map of polymorphic loci: (A) g.75G > A mutation of GnRHR gene, (B) g.951T > C mutation of BMP6 gene, (C) the g.-112C > T mutation of FSHR gene, (D) the g.3236C > A mutation of FSHR gene.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The results of genotyping: (A) the PCR-MspI-RFLP electrophoresis results of the g.75G > A mutation of GnRHR gene, (B) the PCR-HhaI-RFLP electrophoresis results of the g.75G > A mutation of BMP6 gene, the genotypes are marked on the top of the lanes. M means DNA marker (DL2000). (C) PCR-HRM analysis of the g.-112C > T mutation of FSHR gene, (D) PCR-HRM analysis of the g.3236C > A mutation of FSHR gene.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The mRNA expression level of GnRHR (A), BMP6 (B) and FSHR (C) in different tissues of CZ. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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