Polymorphisms within the <i>PRKG1</i> Gene of Gannan Yaks and Their Association with Milk Quality Characteristics
Fen Feng,
Guowu Yang,
Xiaoyong Ma,
Juanxiang Zhang,
Chun Huang,
Xiaoming Ma,
Yongfu La,
Ping Yan,
Pingcuo Zhandui,
Chunnian Liang
Affiliations
Fen Feng
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Guowu Yang
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Xiaoyong Ma
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Juanxiang Zhang
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Chun Huang
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Xiaoming Ma
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Yongfu La
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Ping Yan
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Pingcuo Zhandui
Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Tibet Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lasa 850004, China
Chunnian Liang
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Yak milk, known as the “liquid gold”, is a nutritious food with extensive consumption. Compared with cow milk, yak milk contains higher levels of nutrients such as dry matter, milk fat, and milk protein, which demonstrates great potential for exploitation and utilization. Protein kinase cGMP-dependent 1 (PRKG1) is an important functional molecule in the cGMP signaling pathway, and its significant influence on milk fatty acids has been discovered. The aim of this study is to explore the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PRKG1 gene and the quality traits of Gannan yak milk in order to identify candidate molecular markers for Gannan yak breeding. In this study, genotyping was performed on 172 healthy, 4–5-year-old lactating Gannan yaks with similar body types, naturally grazed, and two to three parity. Three SNPs (g.404195C>T, g.404213C>T, and g.760138T>C) were detected in the PRKG1 gene of Gannan yaks, which were uniformly distributed in the yak population. Linkage disequilibrium analysis was conducted, revealing complete linkage disequilibrium between g.404195C>T and g.404213C>T. After conducting a correlation analysis between SNPs in the PRKG1 gene and milk quality in Gannan yaks, we found that PRKG1 SNPs significantly increased the content of casein, protein, and SNFs in yak milk. Among them, the TT homozygous genotype at the PRKG1 g.404195C>T loci exhibited higher casein and protein contents compared to the CC and CT genotypes (p C locus was associated with casein, protein, SNFs, and TS traits (p p p > 0.05). In summary, PRKG1 gene polymorphism can serve as a candidate molecular marker for improving milk quality in Gannan yaks.
