5'-flanking variants of equine casein genes (CSN1S1, CSN1S2, CSN2, CSN3) and their relationship with gene expression and milk composition.

This study involved screening for polymorphism in 5'-flanking regions of four genes encoding equine caseins (CSN1S1, CSN1S2, CSN2, and CSN3) and making a preliminary assessment of their effect on the gene expression (on the mRNA and protein levels) and milk composition traits in selected horse breeds. Altogether, 23 polymorphisms (21 described previously SNPs and two novel InDels) were found in the studied sequences, the majority of which are common in various horse breeds. Statistical analysis revealed that some are putatively associated with gene expression or milk composition - for example, the c.-2047_-2048insAT polymorphism (CSN1S1) turns out to be related to the total milk protein content in Polish Primitive Horse (p < 0.05), whereas c.-2105C>G SNP (CSN2) is related to beta-casein relative mRNA level and milk lactose concentration in the Polish Coldblood Horse breed (p < 0.05). We have also found significant effects of horse breed and lactation time-point on gene expression and mare's milk composition. Our study indicates that the 5'-regulatory regions of genes encoding casein proteins are interesting targets for functional studies of their expression and the composition traits of mare's milk. PMID: 30328055 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: J Appl Genet - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Tags: J Appl Genet Source Type: research