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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Animal Reproduction - Theriogenology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1435128

Association of SPP1 and NCAPG genes with milk production traits in Chinese Holstein cows: Polymorphism and functional validation analysis

Provisionally accepted
Chuanchuan Wang Chuanchuan Wang 1Yafei Chen Yafei Chen 2*Jinyan Zhao Jinyan Zhao 1Xiaofang Feng Xiaofang Feng 1Ruoshuang Ma Ruoshuang Ma 1Hua Wang Hua Wang 1*Lin Xue Lin Xue 1*Jinli Tian Jinli Tian 1*Lijuan Yang Lijuan Yang 1*Gu Yaling Gu Yaling 1Juan Zhang Juan Zhang 1*
  • 1 Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
  • 2 Yinchuan Animal Husbandry Technical Extension and Service Centre, yinchuan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Milk production traits play an important role in dairy cattle breeding, and single nucleotide polymorphisms can be used as effective molecular markers for milk production trait marker-assisted breeding in dairy cattle. Based on the results of the preliminary GWAS, SPP1 and NCAPG associated with milk production traits were screened. In this study, the aim was to screen and characterize the SNPs of SPP1 and NCAPG genes about milk production traits. Two SNPs and one haplotype block of the SPP1 gene and four SNPs and one haplotype block of the NCAPG gene were obtained by amplification, sequencing and association analysis, and all six SNPs were located in the exon region. Association analysis showed that all six SNPs were significantly associated with milk protein percentage. Linkage disequilibrium analysis showed that 2 SNPs of SPP1 (g. 36700265 C>T and g. 36693596 C>A) constituted a haplotype that correlated with milk protein percentage, and the dominant haplotype was H2H2, which was CCTT. 4 SNPs of NCAPG (g. 37342705 C>A, g. 37343379 G>T, g. 37374314 C>A and g. 37377857 G>A) constituted a haplotype associated with milk protein percentage, 305-days milk protein yield and 305 days milk yield. Tissue expression profiling results revealed that SPP1 and NCAPG had the highest expression in mammary tissue. Interference with SPP1 and NCAPG inhibited the proliferation of Bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs), down-regulated the expression of CDK2 and CCND1, upregulated the expression of BAX and BAD, and promoted apoptosis. Reduced triglyceride synthesis in BMECs, down-regulated the expression of LPIN1, and AGPAT6.SPP1 and NCAPG are involved in the synthesis of milk proteins, and interfering with SPP1 and NCAPG decreased the secretion of β-casein and αs1-casein, as well as up-regulated the CSN2 and CSN3 expression. The above results indicate that the SNP loci of SPP1 and NCAPG can be used as potential molecular markers to improve milk production traits in dairy cows, laying the foundation for marker-assisted selection. It also proves that SPP1 and NCAPG can be used as candidate key genes for milk production traits in dairy cows, providing new insights into the physiological mechanisms of lactation regulation in dairy cows.

    Keywords: SPP1, NCAPG, Milk production traits, association analysis, SNP, Functional verification

    Received: 19 May 2024; Accepted: 03 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Chen, Zhao, Feng, Ma, Wang, Xue, Tian, Yang, Yaling and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yafei Chen, Yinchuan Animal Husbandry Technical Extension and Service Centre, yinchuan, China
    Hua Wang, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
    Lin Xue, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
    Jinli Tian, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
    Lijuan Yang, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
    Juan Zhang, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China

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