Analysis of the GDF9 gene polymorphism in rams of the Russian Merino meat breed

Introduction. The article presents the results of a study of the polymorphism of the growth differential factor gene (GDF9) in rams of the Russian Merino meat breed in the conditions of the farms of the Lenin stud farm and the Rodina collective farm of the Arzgirsky and Apanasenkovsky districts of the Stavropol Territory. The purpose of this article: determination of the polymorphism of the differential growth factor gene - GDF9, in sires of the Russian meat merino breed using the PCR-RFLP method. Materials and methods. Molecular genetic studies were carried out on the basis of the laboratory of immunogenetics and DNA technologies of VNIIOK, a branch of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “North Caucasian FSAC”. Today, one of the promising marker genes for sheep fertility is the growth differential factor gene (GDF9). Results. According to the data obtained, the nature of the manifestation of polymorphic variants of the GDF9 gene suggests the possibility of their further use in the organization of studies aimed at identifying the relationship between the level of productivity and the detected genotypes. Modern molecular genetic studies make it possible to improve the accuracy of assessing and predicting the productive qualities of animals. Conclusion. Analysis of PCR diagnostics shows that the GDF9 gene polymorphism is represented by alleles which have different frequencies of occurrence, namely 0.29 and 0.71. Homozygous genotypes are present in the studied group of animals – 28.6 % and 71.4 %, which cannot be said about the heterozygous genotype, which is absent in rams of this sample. The result of the DNA diagnostics of a sample of rams indicates the average degree of homozygosity (Ca) of the GDF9 gene, which was 59.18 % in the locus. The main factors, such as the low number of desirable alleles (Na), the complete absence of heterozygotes in the GDF9 gene loci, the low levels of expected (Hex) and the absence of observed (Hobs) heterozygosity of the GDF9 gene, as well as indicators of genetic variability (V), indicate a change in the genetic balance. The data obtained on the presence of allelic variants of the gene (GDF9) in the considered sample of animals indicate the potential use of the considered gene in marker selection.