Reproductive ability of cows of domestic dairy breeds with different allelic variants of the leptin gene

Conducting genetic studies of domestic local breeds of cattle is relevant due to the fact that they are carriers of valuable economic traits and have a high adaptive ability to local conditions. The aim of the research is to study the association of polymorphic variants of the leptin gene with the reproductive ability of cattle of the Kostroma, Black-and-White and Yaroslavl breeds bred in the Kostroma region. Genotyping was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using HRM analysis. It was found that in the Kostroma and Yaroslavl breeds, the AV genotype (0.546 and 0.452, respectively) had the highest frequency for the LEP-A80V locus, and the AA genotype (0.550) in the Black-and-White breed. In terms of polymorphism Y7F of the leptin gene, the YY genotype prevailed among animals of all the studied breeds of cows. For the LEP-R25C locus, the highest frequency of occurrence was recorded in individuals with the RC genotype (0.486), while in cattle of the Yaroslavl and Black-and-White breeds, the RR genotype (0.690 and 0.483, respectively). However, no statistically significant differences were found in terms of reproductive ability between cows of different genotypes for the leptin gene. There is reason to believe that in cattle of the Kostroma breed the desired genotype is AV, in Yaroslavl cattle it is AA (LEP-A80V), and in Black-and-White cattle it is RR (LEP-R25C). The observed tendencies towards the presence of higher reproductive qualities in the carriers of the LEP-A80VA and LEP-R25CR alleles in the studied cattle breeds are confirmed by the studies of other authors. Therefore, the study of the effect of leptin gene polymorphism on the reproductive abilities of cows of domestic dairy breeds must be continued with the involvement of a significantly larger number of animals.

1. Yudina O. P., Efimov I. A., Gegamyan N. S., Krakosevich T. V. Reproductive performance of Holstein bulls’ daughters depending on the genotype of the bull for the kappa - casein gene. Vestnik Michurinskogo gosudarstvennogo agrarnogo universiteta. 2018;(4):140-144. (In Russ.). URL: https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=36707649

2. Shchegolev P. O., Sabetova K. D., Chaitskiy A. A., Sorokina A. Relationship of leptin gene polymorphism (LEP) with economically useful traits of cattle. Agrarnyy vestnik Nechernozem'ya = Agrarian Bulletin of the Non-Chernozem region. 2021;(1):25-32. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.52025/2712-8679_2021_01_25

3. Kharitonova A. S., Ilyinicheva T. G., Shendakov A. I. Reproduction abilities of golstein cows-primers of various linear affiliation. Nauka i Obrazovanie = The Education and Science Journal. 2020;3(2):167. (In Russ.). URL: https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=43830322

4. Belozertseva S. L., Petrukhina L. L. The influence of period between the calvings on milk productivity of cows of black-and-white breed. New varieties and innovative technologies of cultivation of agricultural crops are the basis for increasing the efficiency of agricultural production: Proceedings of International scientific and practical Conference. Irkutsk: Irkutskiy GAU im. A. A. Ezhevskogo, 2019. pp. 109-114. URL: https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=41377850

5. Clempson A. M., Pollott G. E., Brickell J. S., Bourne N. E., Munce N., Wathes D. C. Evidence that leptin genotype is associated with fertility, growth, and milk production in Holstein cows. J. Dairy Sci. 2011;94(7):3618-3628. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-3626

6. Machulskaya E. V., Kovalyuk Yu. Yu., Shakhnazarova V. F., Satsuk A. A., Sermyagin A. V., Dotsev A. V. The relationship of the LEP genotypes with breeding value by milk productivity indices. Sbornik nauchnykh trudov Severo-Kavkazskogo nauchno-issledovatel'skogo instituta zhivotnovodstva. 2017;6(1):82-88. (In Russ.). URL: https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=29883206

7. Bluher S., Mantzoros C. S. Leptin in reproduction. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity. 2007;14(6):458-464. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/med.0b013e3282f1cfdc

8. Buchanan F. C., Fitzsimmons C. J., Van Kessel A. G., Thue T. D., Winkelman-Sim D. C., Schmutz Sh. M. Association of a missense mutation in the bovine leptin gene with carcass fat content and leptin mRNA levels. Genetic Selection Evolution. 2002;34:105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/gse:2001006

9. Komisarek J. Impact of LEP and LEPR gene polymorphismos functional traits in Polish Holstein Friesian cattle. Animal Science Paper and Reports. 2010;28(2):133-141. URL: http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-77954068399&partnerID=MN8TOARS

10. Souza F. R., Mercadante M. E., Fonseca L. F. S., Ferreira L. M. S., Regatieri I. C., Ayres D. R., Tonhati H., Silva S. L., Razook A. G., Albuquerque L. G. Assessment of DGAT1 and LEP gene polymorphisms in three Nelore (Bos indicus) lines selected for growth and their relationship with growth and carcass traits. Journal of Animal Science. 2013;88(2):435-441. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2009-2174

11. Brickell J. S., Pollott G. E., Clempson A. M., Otter N., Wathes D. C. Polymorphisms in the bovine leptin gene associated with perinatal mortality in Holstein-Friesian heifers. Journal of Dairy Sciences. 2010;93(1):340-347. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2457

12. Almeida S. E. M., Almeida E. A., Moraes J. C. F., Weimer T. A. Molecular markers in the LEP gene and reproductive performance of beef cattle. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics. 2003;120(2):106-113. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0388.2003.00377.x

13. Giblin L., Butler S. T., Kearney B. M., Waters S. M., Callanan M. J., Berry D. P. Association of bovine leptin polymorphisms with energy output and energy storage traits in progeny tested Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle sires. BMC Genetics. 2010;11:73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2156-11-73

14. Liefers S. C., Veerkamp R. F., Te Pas M. F. W., Chilliard Y., Van der Lende T. Genetics and physiology of leptin in periparturient dairy cows. Domest. Anim. Endocrinol. 2005;29(1):227-238. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.domaniend.2005.02.009

15. Bhowmik N., Ringwall K. A., Dahlen C. R., Swanson K. C., Clapper J. A., Ward A. K., Hulsman Hanna L. L. The role of leptin in reproductive characteristics of commercial beef cows and heifers. Translational animal science. 2019; 3(S-1):1764-1768. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txz083

16. Kovalyuk N. V., Satsuk V. F., Machulskaya E. V., Shakhnazarova Yu. Yu. Possible causes and consequences of the distribution of separate allelic variants of the LEP gene in the groups of ayrshire and holstein cattle. Genetika = Russian Journal of Genetics. 2018;54(12):1442-1447. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016675818120068

17. Heravi Moussavi A., Ahouei M., Nassiri M. R., Javadmanesh A. Association of Leptin Polymorphism with Production, Reproduction and Plasma Glucose Level in Iranian Holstein Cows. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences. 2006;19(5):627-631. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2006.627

18. Kovalyuk N. V., Gyrnets E. A. Polymorphism of lep gene allele as a genetic marker of functional longevity of ayrshire cattle. Universum: khimiya i biologiya. 2016;6(24). (In Russ.). URL: https://7universum.com/ru/nature/archive/item/3257