Association of growth traits with a structural variation downstream of the KCNJ11 gene: a large population-based study in chickens
Creators: name: Xiangnan Wang
name: Chengjie Wei
name: Zhenzhen Zhang
name: Danli Liu
name: Yaping Guo
name: Guirong Sun
name: Yanbin Wang
name: Li, Hong
name: Yadong Tian
name: Xiangtao Kang
name: Ruili Han
name: Zhuanjian Li
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Developmental Biology

description: The potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily J member 11 gene (<i>KCNJ11</i>) is involved in the insulin secretion pathway. Studies have shown that this gene mutation is associated with muscle weakness. The objective of the present study was to establish the association between <i>KCNJ11</i> gene polymorphism and chicken growth performance and to analyse its expression pattern.A novel 163-bp insertion/deletion (indel) polymorphism was identified in the region downstream of the <i>KCNJ11</i> gene in 2330 individuals from ten populations by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An F<sub>2</sub> resource population was used to investigate the genetic effects of the chicken <i>KCNJ11</i> gene. Association analysis showed that the indel was significantly associated with chicken growth traits and that the phenotypic value of the ins-ins (II) genotype is higher than that of the ins-del (ID) and del-del (DD) genotypes.Gene expression for different genotypes showed that birds carrying the II allele had a higher expression level than the DD genotypes. Analysis of tissue and spatiotemporal expression patterns indicated that the <i>KCNJ11</i> gene was highly expressed in muscle tissues, with the highest levels in muscle tissue at one week of age, and that a 10% crude protein diet reduced the expression of this gene, average daily gain and muscle fibre diameter.The results suggested that this novel 163 -bp indel has the potential to become a new target for marker-assisted selection. The potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily J member 11 gene (<i>KCNJ11</i>) is involved in the insulin secretion pathway. Studies have shown that this gene mutation is associated with muscle weakness. The objective of the present study was to establish the association between <i>KCNJ11</i> gene polymorphism and chicken growth performance and to analyse its expression pattern. A novel 163-bp insertion/deletion (indel) polymorphism was identified in the region downstream of the <i>KCNJ11</i> gene in 2330 individuals from ten populations by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An F<sub>2</sub> resource population was used to investigate the genetic effects of the chicken <i>KCNJ11</i> gene. Association analysis showed that the indel was significantly associated with chicken growth traits and that the phenotypic value of the ins-ins (II) genotype is higher than that of the ins-del (ID) and del-del (DD) genotypes. Gene expression for different genotypes showed that birds carrying the II allele had a higher expression level than the DD genotypes. Analysis of tissue and spatiotemporal expression patterns indicated that the <i>KCNJ11</i> gene was highly expressed in muscle tissues, with the highest levels in muscle tissue at one week of age, and that a 10% crude protein diet reduced the expression of this gene, average daily gain and muscle fibre diameter. The results suggested that this novel 163 -bp indel has the potential to become a new target for marker-assisted selection.