Polymorphisms in the myostatin gene and their association with growth and carcass traits in duck

The objective of this study was to assess the association of polymorphisms in myostatin (MSTN) genes with growth and carcass traits in lines of Peking ducks. The polymorphism of the ducks MSTN gene promoter region was researched by polymerase chain reaction-single-stranded conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing methods. Three mutations: G-753A, G-658T and G-235C were detected in the duck MSTN gene. Altogether, 300 Peking ducks of three lines (Z2 line, Z4 line and Z2×Z4 cross line) were genotyped and allele frequencies were determined. The effects of MSTN polymorphisms on growth and carcass traits were analyzed. The G-753A was significantly associated with breast meat percentages (BMP) (P = 0.0225). The G-235C indicated significant association with abdominal fat percentages (AFP) (P = 0.0297). No significant association, however, was detected between any of the marker genotype and other traits measured in this study. Results from this study suggest that MSTN gene-specific single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) may be a useful marker for growth and carcass traits in future marker assisted selection programs in ducks.Key words: Duck, myostatin gene, SNPs, PCR-SSCP, growth and carcass traits, association analysis