Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Phosphoglycerate Mutase 2 (PGAM2) genes with growth traits in rabbits

Genetic improvement of local rabbit breeds using modern approaches such as marker-assisted selection requires accurate and precise information about marker‒trait associations in animals with different genetic backgrounds. Therefore, this study was designed to estimate the association between two mutations located in the Neuropeptide Y (NPY, g.1778G > C) and Phosphoglycerate Mutase 2 (PGAM2, c.195 C > T) genes in New Zealand White (NZW), Baladi (BR), and V-line rabbits. The first mutation was genotyped using high-resolution melting, and the second mutation was genotyped using the PCR-RFLP method. The results revealed significant associations between the NPY mutation and body weight at 10 (V-line) and 12 weeks of age (NZW, BR, and V-line), body weight gain (BWG) from 10 to 12 weeks of age (BR), BWG from 6 to 12 weeks of age (NZW, BR, and V-line), average daily gain (NZW, BR, and V-line, and BR), growth rate (GR) from 8 to10 weeks (V-line), 10 to 12 weeks (BR), and GR from 6 to 12 weeks of age (BR, and V-line). The PGAM2 mutation was associated with body weight at 10 (V-line) and 12 (NZW, and V-line) weeks of age, with significant positive additive effects at 12 weeks of age in all breeds, and was associated with BWG from 8 to 10 and 10 to 12 in BR, and BWG from 6 to 12 weeks of age (NZW, and BR), and average daily gain (NZW, and BR), and was associated with GR form 8 to 10 weeks (BR), from10 to 12 weeks (BR, and V-line) and from 6 to 12 weeks (BR). The results highlighted the importance of the two mutations in growth development, and the possibility of considering them as candidate genes for late growth in rabbits.