Genetic variant of <i>SPARC</i> gene and its association with growth traits in Chinese cattle

Abstract

SPARC is a cysteine-rich acidic secreted protein. It is a non-collagen component of bone, which is widely distributed in humans and animals and plays an important role. SPARC has been found in a variety of human cancers (breast cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, etc.) and diabetes-related research. Especially the muscle and fat metabolism are closely related. In this study, we used a DNA pool to detect a new SNP site (g.12454T > C). A total of 616 samples of four breeds of Qinchuan cattle (QC, n=176), Xianan cattle (XN, n=160), Pinan cattle (PN, n=136) and Jiaxian cattle (JX, n=144) were analyzed and identified with ARMS-PCR. In addition, we correlated SNP with growth traits and showed significant correlation with growth traits such as rump length, hip width, and body length (p<0.05). Moreover, we tested the SPARC gene expression level in different tissues belonging to XN adult cattle (n=3) and found its high expression in muscle tissues (relative to the kidney). Further, we found the SNP is able to increase the SPARC expression level in skeletal muscle (n=12). According to statistical data, this SNP site may be applied to a molecular marker of an early marker-assisted selection for early growth of beef cattle.