Institute for Animal Breeding and Genetics, Bünteweg 17p, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Anim Reprod Sci. 2011 Jul;126(3-4):200-6. doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2011.05.007. Epub 2011 May 24.
The research of fertility in humans and other mammals has strongly advanced in the recent years. The examination of molecular mechanisms influencing horse fertility is relatively recent. We chose the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), the sperm autoantigenic protein 17 (SP17) and the follicle stimulating hormone (FSHB) as candidates for determining stallion fertility and to analyze associations of intragenic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), flanking microsatellites and candidate-gene linked haplotypes with the pregnancy rate per oestrus (PRO) in 179 Hanoverian stallions. Fertility traits analyzed were the least square means of PRO for stallions (LSMs) and the paternal and embryonic component of breeding values for PRO (BVs). We detected nine SNPs and two flanking microsatellites in ACE, eight SNPs and two flanking microsatellites in SP17 and four SNPs and one flanking microsatellite in FSHB. Three SP17-associated SNPs and the two flanking microsatellites showed significant association with the embryonic component of BVs and one SP17-associated microsatellite was also significantly associated with the paternal component of BVs. Two ACE-associated SNPs were significantly associated with the embryonic component of BVs. Significantly associated haplotypes were shown for all three candidate genes and the tested fertility parameters. The final regression analysis model indicated that haplotypes of all three candidate genes significantly contributed to the paternal and embryonic fertility components of PRO. This is the first report of associations of ACE, SP17 and FSHB with fertility traits of stallions.
近年来，人类和其他哺乳动物的生育能力研究取得了重大进展。对影响马生育能力的分子机制的研究相对较新。我们选择血管紧张素转换酶（ACE）、精子自身抗原蛋白 17（SP17）和促卵泡激素（FSHB）作为候选基因，以确定种马的生育能力，并分析内基因单核苷酸多态性（SNP）、侧翼微卫星和候选基因连锁单倍型与 179 匹汉诺威种马发情期妊娠率（PRO）的相关性。分析的生育力性状是种马 PRO 的最小二乘均值（LSM）以及 PRO 的父本和胚胎成分的育种值（BVs）。我们在 ACE 中检测到九个 SNP 和两个侧翼微卫星，在 SP17 中检测到八个 SNP 和两个侧翼微卫星，在 FSHB 中检测到四个 SNP 和一个侧翼微卫星。三个与 SP17 相关的 SNP 和两个侧翼微卫星与 BVs 的胚胎成分显著相关，一个与 SP17 相关的微卫星也与 BVs 的父本成分显著相关。两个与 ACE 相关的 SNP 与 BVs 的胚胎成分显著相关。所有三个候选基因和测试的生育参数都显示出与显著相关的单倍型。最终的回归分析模型表明，所有三个候选基因的单倍型都显著影响 PRO 的父本和胚胎生育能力成分。这是首次报道 ACE、SP17 和 FSHB 与种马生育力性状的关联。
