A New AS-PCR Method to Detect <i>CSN2</i><sup>01</sup> Allele, Genotyping at Ca-Sensitive Caseins <i>Loci</i> and Milk Traits Association Studies in Autochthonous Lazio Goats
Gianfranco Cosenza,
Sara Albarella,
Emanuele D’Anza,
Alessandra Iannuzzi,
Maria Selvaggi,
Mariagiulia Pugliano,
Tiziana Galli,
Giorgio Saralli,
Francesca Ciotola,
Vincenzo Peretti
Affiliations
Gianfranco Cosenza
Department of Agriculture, University of Napoli Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Sara Albarella
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy
Emanuele D’Anza
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy
Alessandra Iannuzzi
National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Animal Production System in Mediterranean Environment (ISPAAM), Piazzale E. Fermi, 1, 8055 Portici, Italy
Maria Selvaggi
Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy
Mariagiulia Pugliano
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy
Tiziana Galli
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Lazio e Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), UOT Lazio Sud, Str. Congiunte Destre, 04100 Latina, Italy
Giorgio Saralli
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Lazio e Toscana “M. Aleandri” (IZSLT), UOT Lazio Sud, Str. Congiunte Destre, 04100 Latina, Italy
Francesca Ciotola
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy
Vincenzo Peretti
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Via Delpino 1, 80137 Naples, Italy
Calcium-sensitive caseins are the main protein component of milk. In the goat, they are encoded by three genes (CSN1S1, CSN2, and CSN1S2) located on chromosome 6. A high number of alleles has been discovered for these genes in the goat species, responsible for changes in the milk’s qualitative and quantitative characteristics. This study aimed to develop an Allele-Specific PCR (AS-PCR), which allowed us to unequivocally detect goat carriers of the CSN201 allele. Subsequently, the calcium-sensitive casein loci genotype was investigated in three native goat breeds of the Lazio Region (Bianca Monticellana, Capestrina, and Ciociara Grigia). No individuals were carriers of the CSN1S101, CSN1S1E, CSN201, CSN1S2D, and CSN1S20 alleles, while a high frequency of the alleles CSN1S1F and CSN1S1A*,B* was observed. Association analyses between the different genotypes at the CSN1S1 locus and some milk traits, namely the fat and protein yielded and the fat, protein, solids-not-fat, and casein percentages without an effect on the milk yield, were observed.
