POLYMORPHISM CHARACTERISTICS OF GH, TG5, LEP GENES IN CATTLE OF THE HEREFORD BREED

Abstract

In order to obtain high-quality livestock products, strict scientifically based methods, techniques and standards must be followed when breeding animals. Since every year there is an increasing interest in the production of high-quality meat products, it is important to introduce new approaches in this area that combine classical breeding methods with molecular genetic technologies. Such integration of methods will allow to obtain the maximum economic benefit in production processes. The aim of the research was to study the characteristics of allelic polymorphism of genes: thyroglobulin – TG, growth hormone – GH, leptin – LEP in a sample of beef cattle. The research was carried out in JSC “Belokopanskoe” of the Stavropol Territory. The objects were servicing bulls (n = 13) and heifers (n = 30) of the Hereford breed. DNA genotyping of the studied cattle population was carried out by PCR- RFLP method. The obtained data indicated that in the genome of the studied livestock (43 head), 33,3% of heifers and 30,8% of bulls had significant breeding marker alleles: T allele of the thyroglobulin gene, V allele of growth hormone and T allele of leptin. Data analysis revealed the presence of several desirable gene complexes characterized by a different number of desirable gene alleles: TG, GH and LEP in a sample of Hereford cattle. The live weight of animals, depending on the number of marker alleles, varied in heifers from 440,0 to 456,0 kg; in bulls – from 860,0 to 940,0 kg. The results of the presented studies can be used as an additional criterion for the selection of animals in order to improve the genetic potential of beef cattle of the Hereford breed.