Variability of some genes of the somatotropic axis in the Piemontese cattle breed

Abstract

Growth hormone (GH) is a major participant in the control of several complex physiological processes, including growth and metabolism. The growth promoting aspects are generally mediated by the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), produced primarily in the liver in response to GH, while the metabolic effects are mainly the result of the GH direct binding to its receptors (GHR) on target cells. The production of GH is modulated by growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin (SST); the former stimulates both the synthesis and the secretion of GH, the latter inhibits the GH release (Frohman and Jansson, 1986; Bonneau, 1991; Buyse and Decuypere, 1999; Duclos et al., 1999; Sodhi and Rajput, 2001). Due to the several effects of GH, the genes coding for GH and other hormones and factors involved in growth have been suggested.........

Keywords

• candidate genes, polymorphism, cattle, Piemontese breed