Effects of PPARGC1A and LTF genes on milk yield and composition traits in dairy cows

4th International Symposium for Agriculture and Food (ISAF-2022), Ohrid, Makedonya, 12 - 14 Ekim 2022, cilt.1, sa.366, ss.301

In this study, Holstein and Jersey cows investigated the association of bovine PPARGC1A and

LTF gene polymorphisms with milk production and composition traits. A total of 200 Holstein

and Jersey cows, 100 from each breed, were used for the research. Total milk yield, 305-day,

and test-day milk yield data were recorded. Milk fat/protein yield and percentage were calculated.

The analysis also considered the lactation period, calving season, and service period. Genomic

DNA was extracted from whole blood samples by the phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol

method. Genotyping was carried out by the PCR-RFLP method. Two polymorphisms were

evaluated at PPARGC1A and LTF genes located in intron 9 and 6, respectively. Genotypic/

allelic frequencies, compliance with Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium, and population genetics parameters

were calculated. The general linear model procedure was used to reveal the effects

of each gene individually, and their interactions on the traits studied. Results revealed that the

genetic markers selected in this study were moderately informative and exhibited an admissible

genetic variation for the studied dairy cattle population. Novel associations were observed

for the PPARGC1A and LTF genes concerning milk production and composition traits. The

selected SNPs were located in the intronic regions. It is important to note that alterations in the

introns play essential roles in mRNA stability and alternative splicing. Thus, they can influence

phenotypic variation indisputably. This study may provide necessary knowledge on the genetic

markers affecting milk production and the selection strategies in dairy cattle.