Ovar-DRB1 haplotypes *2001 and *0301 are associated with sheep growth and ewe lifetime prolificacy

AbstractBackgroundThe major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is an organized cluster of tightly linked vertebrate genes with immunological and non-immunological functions. While the important MHC gene DRB1 has been examined in regard to many sheep infectious disease traits, only one study, based on microsatellite markers, has previously examined DRB1 and sheep production traits. Furthermore, to our knowledge no studies have examined DRB1 relationship with lifetime ewe prolificacy traits. Therefore, we analyzed association between the presence of DRB1 SNP haplotypes with internationally recognized standard names and production traits including growth and lifetime prolificacy in 370 Rambouillet, Columbia, and Polypay sheep.ResultsThe DRB1 *2001 haplotype was associated with increased weaning and mature weights, as well as average daily gain (Šidák P