Differential expression of six genes and correlation with fatness traits in a unique broiler population

Abstract

Previous results from genome wide association studies (GWASs) in chickens divergently selected for abdominal fat content of Northeast Agricultural University (NEAUHLF) showed that many single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants were associated with abdominal fat content. Of them, six top significant SNPs at the genome level were located within <i>SRD5A3</i>, <i>SGCZ</i>, <i>DLC1</i>, <i>GBE1</i>, <i>GALNT9</i> and <i>DNAJB6</i> genes. Here, expression levels of these six candidate genes were investigated in abdominal fat and liver tissue between fat and lean broilers from the 14th generation population of NEAUHLF. The results showed that expression levels of <i>SRD5A3</i>, <i>SGCZ</i> and <i>DNAJB6</i> in the abdominal fat and <i>SRD5A3</i>, <i>DLC1</i>, <i>GALNT9</i>, <i>DNAJB6</i> and <i>GBE1</i> in the liver tissue differed significantly between the fat and lean birds, and were correlated with abdominal fat traits. The findings will provide important references for further function investigation of the six candidate genes involved in abdominal fat deposition in chickens.