Copy Number Variation of the <i>SOX6</i> Gene and Its Associations with Growth Traits in Ashidan Yak
Xinyi Li,
Chun Huang,
Modian Liu,
Rongfeng Dai,
Xiaoyun Wu,
Xiaoming Ma,
Min Chu,
Pengjia Bao,
Jie Pei,
Xian Guo,
Ping Yan,
Chunnian Liang
Affiliations
Xinyi Li
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Chun Huang
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Modian Liu
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Rongfeng Dai
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Xiaoyun Wu
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Xiaoming Ma
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Min Chu
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Pengjia Bao
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Jie Pei
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Xian Guo
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Ping Yan
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Chunnian Liang
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding Engineering Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
Copy number variation (CNV) is a fundamental type of structural variation of the genome affecting the economic traits of livestock. The SOX6 gene (sex-determining region Y-box 6), as a transcription factor, has multiple functions with regard to sex determination, embryonic growth, the nervous system development, as well as bone, and various organ formation. This study employed quantitative real-time fluorescence quota PCR (qPCR) for detecting the SOX6-CNV of the 311 Ashidan yaks and analyzed the correlation of the SOX6-CNV with four phenotypes (including body weight, withers height, body length, and chest girth) of the yaks aged 6, 12, 18, and 30 months using ANOVA and multiple comparisons. Furthermore, the SOX6 gene expression was identified in seven different tissues of the yaks. The experiment results demonstrated the expression of SOX6 in each tissue, and the kidney and muscle tissue were found to have higher relative expression levels. Based on the processing by IBM SPSS software, SOX6-CNV was significantly correlated with the chest girth of the 6-months old yaks (p p p p SOX6 might be prominently involved in promoting growth and development of yaks, suggesting that the SOX6 gene can be used in breeding yaks by molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS). The study also offered some important insights into the references and clues for the genetic breeding of yaks.
