The Genetic Characterization of DGAT1 Gene in Donkey Populations Reared in Thrace Region of Turkey

Abstract

AcylCoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT1) gene hasa considerable effect on milk content and yield in cattle witha substitution of lysine by alanine in the exon 8 of the gene.Moreover there are many other researches comprising theDGAT1 gene on different farm animals, such as buffalo,sheep and goat but there is no information about the DGAT1gene in donkeys. In this study, the polymorphism of DGAT1gene in donkey populations reared in Thrace region ofTurkey has been investigated by restriction fragment lengthpolymorphism (RFLP) via EaeI (CfrI) restriction enzyme.EaeI restriction site was found in cattle breeds which resultedafter K232A substitution, Lysine (AAG) to Alanine (GCG)variant but this restriction site was not found in donkeypopulations. A novel single-nucleotide polymorphism(GA substitution) in the DGAT1 gene at position 10,435lacks this restriction site which results only Alanine variant(GCA) instead of Lysine variant. This novel singlenucleotide polymorphism in the DGAT1 gene was found inthe studied donkey breeds.