Association between PROP1 gene polymorphism (g.748G>A) and growth traits in Assam hill goats
109 / 35
Keywords:
Assam Hill goat, Growth traits, PCR-RFLP, Polymorphism, PROP1 geneAbstract
PROP1 (Prophet of Pit-1) gene is a key transcription factor involved in pituitary development and regulation of growth-related hormones in livestock. This study investigated polymorphisms in the PROP1 gene and their association with growth traits in Assam Hill goats. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples collected from 147 unrelated Assam Hill goats. Primers targeting intron 1 and exon 1 of the PROP1 gene were designed using Primer3Plus, and genotyping was performed by PCR–RFLP. Population genetic parameters were estimated using PopGene version 1.32. A missense SNP, g.748G>A, was identified and genotyped using the restriction enzyme DrdI, which revealed three genotypes (GG, GA, and AA). The frequencies of alleles A and G were 0.53 and 0.47, respectively. The locus exhibited moderate polymorphism (PIC = 0.37) and moderate genetic diversity, with an effective number of alleles of 1.99 and an expected heterozygosity of 0.50. Association analysis revealed that animals carrying AA genotype tended to exhibit superior growth performance, with significantly greater body length and wither height at 6 months of age than those carrying the GG and GA genotypes (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the PROP1 g.748G>A polymorphism might serve as a potential molecular marker for marker-assisted selection aimed at improving growth traits in Assam Hill goats. However, further validation in larger, independent, and genetically diverse goat populations is required before its practical application in breeding programmes.
Downloads
References
1. Akounda B, Ouedraogo D, Soudre A, Burger P A, Rosen B D, Van Tassell C P and Solkner J. 2023. Morphometric characterization of local goat breeds in two agroecological zones of Burkina Faso, West Africa. Animals 13: 1931. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13121931
2. BAHS. 2019. Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, New Delhi.
3. Bojovic M and McGregor A. 2023. A review of megatrends in the global dairy sector: what are the socioecological implications? Agriculture and Human Values 40: 373–394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-022-10338-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-022-10338-x
4. Botstein D, White R L, Skolnick M and Davis R W. 1980. Construction of a genetic linkage map in man using restriction fragment length polymorphisms. American Journal of Human Genetics 32: 314–331.
5. Chen W, Han Y, Chen Y, Liu X, Liang H, Wang C and Khan M Z. 2025. Potential candidate genes associated with litter size in goats: A review. Animals 15: 82. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ani15010082 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15010082
6. de Moraes D C, Vaisman M, Conceição F L and Ortiga-Carvalho T M. 2012. Pituitary development: a complex, temporally regulated process dependent on specific transcriptional factors. Journal of Endocrinology 215(2): 239–45. doi:10.1530/JOE-12-0229 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1530/JOE-12-0229
7. Devendra C. 2024. Transforming small ruminant systems in Asia: Pathways to sustainability and productivity. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 37(2): 151–163.
8. Ekegbu U J, Burrows L, Amirpour-Najafabadi H, Zhou H and Hickford J G H. 2019. Gene polymorphisms in PROP1 associated with growth traits in sheep. Gene 683: 41–46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2018.10.024
9. FAO. 2012. Phenotypic characterization of animal genetic resources. FAO Animal Production and Health Guidelines No. 11. Rome.
10. Getachew T, Rischkowsky B, Rekik M, Mueller J, Tessema T, Solomon D and Haile A. 2022. Optimizing breeding structures and related management in community-based goat breeding programs in the Borana pastoral system of Ethiopia. Livestock Science 256: 104819. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2021.104819
11. Hua G H, Chen S L, Yu J N, Cai K L, Wu C J, Li Q L, Zhang C Y, Liang A X, Han L, Geng L Y, Shen Z, Xu D Q and Yang L G. 2009. Polymorphism of the growth hormone gene and its association with growth traits in Boer goat bucks. Meat Science 81: 391–395. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2008.08.015
12. Jafari Z, Miraei Ashtiani S R and Sadeghi M. 2014. A PCRRFLP investigation on PROP1 gene polymorphism and its association with milk production and growth traits in Mahabadi goats. Journal of Livestock Science and Technology 2(1): 43–48.
13. Kumar R, Das M, Chandran P C, Kumari R, Dayal S, Kamal R K and Das A. 2026. Association of PROP1 Gene Polymorphism (g.1860C>T) with growth traits in Assam Hill Goats. Indian Journal of Animal Research 1–9. https://doi.org/10.18805/ IJAR.B-5665. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18805/IJAR.B-5665
14. Lan X Y, Pan C Y, Zhang L Z, Zhao M, Zhang C L, Lei C Z and Chen H. 2009. A novel missense (A79V) mutation of goat PROP1 gene and its association with production traits. Molecular Biology Reports 36(8): 2069–2073. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-008-9418-x
15. Lan X Y, Penagaricano F, DeJung L, Weigel K A and Khatib H. 2013. Short communication: A missense mutation in the PROP1 gene affects male fertility and milk production traits in the US Holstein population. Journal of Dairy Science 96(2): 1255–1257. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2012-6019
16. Liu Q, Geng C, Chu M, Chen H, Jin M, Zhang Y, Di R, Feng T and Li N. 2015. Polymorphism of Prophet of Pit-1 gene and its relationship with litter size of Small Tail Han sheep. Journal of Genetics 94: e27–e30. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12041-015-0517-x
17. Liu Y, Liu J, Chen T, Zhang J and Wang D. 2019. Structural insights into transcription factor–DNA interactions: Implications for disease-associated mutations. Journal of Molecular Biology 431(10): 1998–2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jmb.2019.02.010
18. Ma L, Qin Q, Yang Q, Zhang M, Zhao H, Pan C, Lei C, Chen H and Lan X. 2017. Associations of six SNPs of POU1F1-PROP1-PITX1-SIX3 pathway genes with growth traits in two Chinese indigenous goat breeds. Annals of Animal Science 17(2): 399–411. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/aoas-2016-0066
19. Mathapo M C, Tyasi T L and Thinawanga J. 2025. Prediction of body weight from linear body measurement traits of Nguni goats in the Limpopo province. Journal of Applied Animal Research 53(1): 2462581. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2025.2462581
20. Meza-Herrera C A, Navarrete-Molina C, Macias-Cruz U, Arellano-Rodriguez G, De Santiago-Miramontes A, Sarinana- Navarrete M A, Marin-Tinoco R I and Perez-Marin C C. 2024. Dairy goat production systems: A Comprehensive analysis to reframe their global diversity. Animals 14(24): 3717. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14243717
21. Modi R J, Patel N M, Patel Y G, Islam M M and Nayak J B. 2024. Goat farming: A boon for economic upliftment. Trends in Clinical Diseases, Production and Management of Goats 1: 51–62. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-23696-9.00004-3
22. Nair M R R, Sejian V, Silpa M V, Fonseca V F C, de Melo Costa C C, Devaraj C, Krishnan G, Bagath M, Nameer P O and Bhatta R. 2021. Goat as the ideal climate-resilient animal model in tropical environment: Revisiting advantages over other livestock species. International Journal of Biometeorology 65: 2179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-021-02179-w. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-021-02179-w
23. Ncube K T, Nephawe K A, Mpofu T J, Monareng N J, Mofokeng M M and Mtileni B. 2025. Genomic advancements in assessing growth performance, meat quality, and carcass characteristics of goats in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26: 2323. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26052323 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26052323
24. Sarma O, Das B, Phookan A and Gogoi A. 2025. Animal genetic resources and biodiversity in the north-eastern state of Assam, India: An overview. Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology 46(5): 140–152. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56557/upjoz/2025/v46i54830
25. Shi Y, Liu Y, Qi Y, Rong Y, Ao X, Zhang M, Xia Q, Zhang Y and Wang R. 2025. Estimation of genetic parameters of growth traits in the Inner Mongolia White Cashmere goat (Erlangshan type). Animals 15(11): 1652. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15111652
26. Tanvi T Z, Ferdous M, Bahar F and Ferdous Z. 2024. Morphometric attributes and structural indices of Jamunapari goat available in Chattagram District, Bangladesh. Indian Journal of Veterinary Public Health 10(1): 87–94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.62418/ijvph.10.1.2024.87-94
27. Tosser-Klopp G, Bardou P, Bouchez O, Cabau C, Crooijmans R, Dong Y, Donnadieu-Tonon C, Eggen A, Heuven H, Jamli S. 2016. Design and characterization of a 52K SNP chip for goats. PLOS ONE 11(1): e0151053. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152632
28. Wajid C, Baloch A H, Khosa A N, Kaleri H A, Bangulzai N, Fazlani S A, Sadia H, Kalsoom S, Arain M B and Vistro W A. 2022. PROP1 gene: a selective marker of wool production in sheep breeds of Balochistan, Pakistan. Journal of Animal Health and Production 10(2): 238–244. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17582/journal.jahp/2022/10.2.238.244
29. Yeh F C, Yang R C and Boyle T. 1999. POPGENE Version 1.32: Microsoft Windows-based freeware for population genetic analysis. University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
30. Zhang X, Yang F, Zhang J, Zhu T, Zhao X, Liu Y, Wen J, Gu H, Wang G, Ren X, Chen A and Qu L. 2025. Genomic variation responding to artificial selection on different lines of Pekin duck. Poultry Science 104(2): 104785 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.104785
31. Zhou F, Yang Q, Lei C, Chen H and Lan X. 2016. Relationship between genetic variants of POU1F1, PROP1, IGFBP3 genes and milk performance in Guanzhong dairy goats. Small Ruminant Research 140: 40–45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2016.05.015
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The copyright of the articles published in The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences is vested with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which reserves the right to enter into any agreement with any organization in India or abroad, for reprography, photocopying, storage and dissemination of information. The Council has no objection to using the material, provided the information is not being utilized for commercial purposes and wherever the information is being used, proper credit is given to ICAR.