Polymorphisms and effects on growth traits of the SH2B1 gene in Chinese cattle

As an adaptor protein, SH2B1 is a key regulator of leptin sensitivity, energy balance, growth, and body weight. In this study, we identified three SNPs (snp796, snp823 and snp4368) of the SH2B1 gene in 1028 individuals from five Chinese cattle breeds by PCR-RFLP and sequencing, and investigated their association with several growth traits in Nanyang population. By χ2 test, all the five populations had a genetic diversity not very high at the polymorphism sites. Linkage disequilibrium analysis and haplotype frequency were also reported. Positive effects of snp796 A allele, snp823 T allele, and snp4368 A allele on growth traits were observed. When combined, the superiority of snp796 A allele and snp823 T allele was partially confirmed. These results provided evidence that SH2B1 gene could be a candidate for marker assisted selection in beef cattle breeding program, and that SH2B1 might be involved in the regulation of cattle growth and development.