At present, modern technologies involving the use of DNA markers, which are widely used in national breeding programs in a number of countries with developed animal husbandry are of considerable interest and have a signifi cant infl uence on improving productivity traits. A signifi cant number of genes associated with meat productivity and meat quality have been identifi ed. In sheep breeding such research has been developed only recently. Due to the growing interest in the production of young mutton and lamb, priority is given to the study of genes that control meat productivity. However, the most popular are genetic markers that are interconnected with candidate genes, whose protein products play a signifi cant role in the formation or regulation of physiological and biochemical processes. Alleles of the Growth Hormone (GH) gene and Calpastatin (CAST) gene are considered as potential markers of sheep meat productivity. In this regard, the purpose of this work was to study the polymorphism of GH and CAST genes in crossbred wool-and-meat producing sheep (1/2 Poll Dorset × 1/2 North Caucasian wool-and-meat producing breed) bred in the Stavropol Territory. The analysis of Somatotropin and Calpastatin gene polymorphism was performed by PCR-PDRF. When studying GH gene polymorphism, the genotypes AA, AB and BB have been found, the frequency of occurrence of which was 29,7; 42,8 and 27,5 %, respectively. Allele A prevailed in the studied animals – 0,786, allele B was – 0,214. The CAST gene was represented by two genotypes MM and MN (the NN genotype was absent in the animals of this group) with a frequency of 87,9 and 12,1 %, respectively. The frequency of the M allele was high at 0,94, while the n allele was low at 0,06. The results obtained during the researches indicate the establishment of a variety of allelic variants of Somatotropin and Calpastatin genes in wool-and-meat producing sheep. Further research will be aimed at studying the association of identifi ed polymorphisms with economically useful traits.
CAST/MspI gene polymorphism and its impact on growth traits of Soviet Merinoand Salsk sheep breeds in the South European part of Russia
