Effect of genetic variations within the SH2B2 gene on the growth of Chinese cattle

• Four polymorphisms within SH2B2 gene were found in five Chinese cattle breeds.
• snp1220, 4 bp indel and snp21049 loci were associated with Nanyang growth.
• The bovine SH2B2 gene could possibly be a candidate in marker assisted selection.

As an adaptor protein, apart from potentiating Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) activation and promoting the insulin signaling pathway, Src homology 2 B 2 (SH2B2) indirectly takes part in the regulation of glucose uptake through the c-Cb1/CAP/TC10 pathway, which can in turn affect growth. In this study, we identified a 4 bp indel mutation and three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the SH2B2 gene in 959 individuals from five Chinese cattle breeds by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and sequencing. Based on the four variations, 12 haplotypes were identified. Additionally, there was a tendency that in every population pair-wise linkages increased progressively from V1–V2 to V3–V4. By association analysis, positive effects of genotypes CC and CT (snp1220 locus), DI (4 bp indel locus), and CC (snp21049 locus) on growth traits were obtained. Furthermore, when combined, individuals with the combination CCDITTCC showed the best performance at an early age. These results were suggestive of an association of snp1220, 4 bp indel and snp12049 with growth performance in Nanyang cattle, indicating possibly the candidate role of the SH2B2 gene in marker assisted selection in a beef cattle breeding program.