A study on the growth hormone gene within a herd of female buffaloes of the Murrah breed (Bubalus bubalis)

Abstract

The growth hormone is one of the main regulators for post-natal growth, and also plays a major role in the metabolism of mammals; it has been proposed as candidate gene for genetic identification markers on the following characteristics: growth, carcass, and milk production. Thus, the present study has focused
on observing the likely polymorphisms at the end of the 5´- flank region, firstly exon, and part of the first intron* of the growth hormone gene within a herd of female buffaloes of the Murrah breed. It has been done with a view to spotting future associations, such as characteristics of milk production and its constituents. In order to do that, blood samples of 115 female buffaloes have been used. Through a polimerasis chain reaction,
a fragment of 450 pb has been enlarged, and it has been analyzed through the sequencing technique, and through the RFLP, utilizing restriction endonucleasis Ddel. As a result, the sequence of the nucleotides of the growth hormone of the female buffaloes will be submitted to the Genbank. Nevertheless, it has been noted that bubalines have showed monomorphism, in the region which was studied, towards the growth hormone gene.
Therefore, it hasn´t been possible to quantify the action of this gene on the production of milk and its constituents.