Two mitochondrial genes are associated with performance traits in farmed raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

Abstract

The relationships between chosen mitochondrial genes polymorphisms and performance traits in raccoon dogs were determined. The study involved 354 farmed raccoon dogs. Blood collected from the animals was the analysed biological material. Mitochondrial DNA genes, i.e. MT-CO1 (mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase I), MT-CO2 (mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase II), and MT-CYB (mitochondrially encoded cytochrome b) were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction method. The amplicons obtained were sequenced and subjected to bioinformatics analysis. Based on the nucleotide sequences, three haplotypes for the MT-CO1 gene fragment and two haplotypes for the MT-CO2 gene fragment were identified. The sequence of the MT-CYB gene was monomorphic. Based on the haplotypes, five previously undescribed mitochondrial haplogroups were determined. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between the values of three of the five investigated performance traits of raccoon dogs and the identified haplotypes and mitochondrial haplogroups, taking into account predictors of direct additive effects, additive maternal effects, and fixed specific maternal environmental effects. The new mitochondrial haplogroups identified in the farmed raccoon dog population may imply constant emergence of adaptive mutations that are conserved in subsequent generations. The results of the association study indicate a statistically significant association between haplotypes and mitochondrial haplogroups of farmed raccoon dogs and their body weight, body size, and colour type, which allows considering MT-CO1 and MT-CO2 genes as candidate genes encoding these traits in raccoon dogs. The results of the molecular analyses can be applied to improve the performance traits in farmed raccoon dogs.

The COXII Haplotypes and their Association with Productive Traits in Large White Breed Pigs

“…The results indicating the relationship between the polymorphism of the COXII gene were obtained in the study of other species. (Nisztuk-Pacek et al, 2018) have obtained results, which proved the associative connections between the COXII gene polymorphisms and phenotypic characteristics of animals. They pointed to the statistically significant relationship of the mtDNA gene СOXII haplotypes and haplogroups with the productive traits of raccoon dogs, such as weight, body size and colour type.…”

“…Both male and female individuals get mitochondria from the cytoplasm of the maternal egg. MtDNA is not able to recombination, the entire molecule is changed only by mutation for thousands of years (Fernandez et al, 2008;Nisztuk-Pacek et al, 2018). Pigs mtDNA is an annular molecule consisting of average of 16.5 kbp.…”

“…Therefore the mutations in the COXII gene can be associated with economically important characteristics of pigs. Taking into account the role of the gene and the relatively high degree of intraspecies variability, the identification of polymorphisms in pigs mtDNA and the nucleotide sequence investigation of the COXII gene are very prospective (Liu and Lizhi, 2017;Nisztuk-Pacek et al, 2018).…”

Mitochondrial DNA Diversity in Large White Pigs in Russia

“…Mitochondrial diversity has long been considered neutral or almost neutral [ 31 ]. However, an increasing amount of research with animal models and humans suggests that mtDNA variants may be associated with some phenotypic traits [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. Given this, we can assume that further intensification of pig production can lead to a significant spread of some haplotypes and disappearance of others.…”