Copy Number Variation of the <i>SHE</i> Gene in Sheep and Its Association with Economic Traits
Rui Jiang,
Jie Cheng,
Xiu-Kai Cao,
Yi-Lei Ma,
Buren Chaogetu,
Yong-Zhen Huang,
Xian-Yong Lan,
Chu-Zhao Lei,
Lin-Yong Hu,
Hong Chen
Affiliations
Rui Jiang
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Jie Cheng
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Xiu-Kai Cao
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Yi-Lei Ma
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Buren Chaogetu
Animal Disease Control Center of Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Delingha 817000, China
Yong-Zhen Huang
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Xian-Yong Lan
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Chu-Zhao Lei
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Lin-Yong Hu
Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810001, China
Hong Chen
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Copy number variation (CNV) caused by gene rearrangement is an important part of genomic structural variation. We found that the copy number variation region of the Src Homology 2 Domain Containing E (SHE) gene correlates with a quantitative trait locus of sheep related to milk fat percentage and bone density. The aim of our study was to detect the copy number variation of the SHE gene in four sheep breeds and to conduct a correlation analysis with economic traits, hoping to provide some reference for sheep breeding. In this study, we examined 750 sheep from four Chinese breeds: Chaka sheep (CKS), Hu sheep (HS), Large Tail Han sheep (LTHS) and Small Tail Han sheep (STHS). We used qPCR to evaluate the copy number of the SHE gene, and then used general linear models to analyze the associations between CNV and economic traits. The results showed that there were more individuals with SHE copy number loss in CKS and HS than in STHS and LTHS individuals. Association analyses showed that gain and normal copy number types were correlated to body length, circumference of cannon bone, heart girth, chest width and high at the cross in CKS, HS and STHS (p < 0.05), but this association was not observed for LTHS. Chi-square values (χ2) found prominent differences in CNV distribution among the studied breeds. Overall, the CNV of the SHE gene may be an important consideration for sheep molecular breeding.
