Publication Date:
2013-11-28
Description:
Background: Myostatin (MSTN) belongs to the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily and is a potent negative regulator of skeletal muscle development and growth in mammals. Most teleost fish possess two MSTN paralogues. However, as a consequence of a recent whole genome-duplication event, salmonids have four: MSTN-1 (-1a and -1b) and MSTN-2 (-2a and -2b). Evidence suggests that teleost MSTN plays a role in the regulation of muscle growth. In the current study, the MSTN-1b gene was re-sequenced and screened for SNP markers in a commercial population of Atlantic salmon. After genotyping 4,800 progeny for the discovered SNPs, we investigated their association with eight harvest traits - four body-weight traits, two ratios of weight traits, flesh colour and fat percentage - using a mixed model association analysis. Results: Three novel SNPs were discovered in the MSTN-1b gene of Atlantic salmon. One of the SNPs, located within the 5[prime] flanking region (g.1086C 〉 T), had a significant association with harvest traits (p 〈 0.05), specifically for: Harvest Weight (kg), Gutted Weight (kg), Deheaded Weight (kg) and Fillet Weight (kg). The haplotype-based association analysis was consistent with this result because the two haplotypes that showed a significant association with body-weight traits, hap4 and hap5 (p 〈 0.05 and p 〈 0.01, respectively), differ by a single substitution at the g.1086C 〉 T locus. The alleles at g.1086C 〉 T act in an additive manner and explain a small percentage of the genetic variation of these phenotypes. Conclusions: The association analysis revealed that g.1086C 〉 T had a significant association with all body-weight traits under study. Although the SNP explains a small percentage of the variance, our results indicate that a variation in the 5[prime] flanking region of the myostatin gene is associated with the genetic regulation of growth in Atlantic salmon.
Electronic ISSN:
1471-2156
Topics:
Biology
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