Levantamento de polimorfismo dos genes BMPR-1B e BMP-15 em ovinos das raças Santa Inês e Morada Nova do semi-árido nordestino brasileiro

Abstract

Identifying genes that influence sheep prolificity opens up a promising research path; when added to other measures, this procedure may result in greater productivity and allow the investigation of other factors involved in the follicular dynamics of these animals. The aim of the present study was to search for Booroola (FecB) and Galway (FecXG) mutations using the PCR-RFLP technique on sheep of the “Santa Inês” and “Morada Nova” breeds with a history of prolificity. Among the “Santa Inês” breed, 393 females with a history of single offspring per delivery and 181 with two or more offspring per birth were analyzed, along with 23 males and 282 females of the “Morada Nova” breed (170 with one offspring per birth and 112 with two or more offspring). Blood collected through a jugular puncture was used to obtain leukocytes and extract DNA using the phenol-chloroform technique. Genes of interest for studying FecB and FecXG mutations were amplified from specific primers submitted to the action of Ava II and Hinf I endonucleases, respectively.Analysis of the fragments obtained in agarose gel revealed the existence of the FecB gene in 1.04% of “Santa Inês” breed females with a history of two or more offspring per birth and was not found in “Morada Nova” females. FecXG mutation was not found in any of the animals studied. It was concluded that FecB mutations, although present in “Santa Inês” females, are of low frequency and therefore not a good tool for selecting prolific sheep. Moreover, the prolificity observed among the “Santa Inês” and “Morada Nova” breeds is not related to FecB or FecXG mutations.