ASSOCIATIONS OF POLYMORPHISMS OF THE FSH-β GENE PROMOTER REGION DETECTED BY TETRA-PRIMER TECHNIQUE (AMRS-PCR) WITH SEMINAL AND TESTICULAR CHARACTERISTICS IN NELORE BREED.
Beef cattle. Genotyping. Molecular marker. Mutation. SNP.
The aim of this study was to associate polymorphisms detected in the promoter region of the FSH-β gene by tetra-primer technique (ARMS-PCR) with seminal and testicular characteristics of Nelore cattle. Semen was collected and the scrotal circumference of 200 bulls was measured. Then, spermograms and laboratory methods of molecular biology were performed. DNA extraction was performed by saline method, followed by Tetra-PRIMER PCR to genotype two polymorphisms (FSH-βU1 and FSH-βU2) in all animals. Genetic diversity analyzes were evaluated by the Genepop program and the associations of polymorphisms with seminal and testicular characteristics by the SAS (University Version) program. The technique revealed three band patterns for each polymorphism. For the FSH-βU1 polymorphism, GG, GA and AA genotypes were observed in the proportions of 23%, 50% and 27%, respectively and the most frequent A allele (52%). For the FSH-βU2 polymorphism, TT, TA and AA genotypes were observed, in the proportions 26%, 50% and 24%, respectively and the most frequent T allele (51%). Both polymorphisms showed deviations of Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) (P <0.05) and excess of heterozygotes with FIS –0.3304 and –0.2511, respectively. The polymorphisms are in linkage disequilibrium (P <0.05) and there was a strong association between FSH-βU1 polymorphism and the testicular characteristic (scrotal perimeter) for GG genotype (P <0.05).