Conformation features of young rams of Manych merino breed depending on genotypes of FRY gene

Abstract

Increasing productivity and improving meat quality are considered today as priorities for the development of the sheep breeding. In this regard, it is necessary to move to the modern approaches aimed at solving the issue of increasing production and improving the quality of mutton, one of which is the use of molecular genetic methods. The purpose of this research was to study the conformation features of young rams Manych merino breed depending on the genotypes of polymorphisms of the gene FRY. In order to study the relationship with lifetime indicators of meat productivity, two polymorphisms of the gene FRY were selected at positions 29040877 and 29358679. Data analysis showed a reliable association of the genotypes of the studied polymorphisms with the body weight and body measuring of young rams at the age of 9 months. A comparison of animals with carriers of different genotypes by polymorphism 29040877 showed that the group of animals with the genotype CC significantly (р < 0.05; р < 0.01) exceeded the other two groups of young rams with the genotypes CT and TT by 5.1 and 11.1 % in terms of live weight. At the same time, the group of animals with the CT genotype had the highest value of the studied trait by 5.7 % (р < 0.05), in contrast to the group of young rams with the TT genotype. In addition, a group of young rams with the CC genotype showed a high degree of body weight parameters that characterize traits of better meat productivity. A similar pattern was observed for polymorphism 29358679. Thus, the group of young rams with the genotype AA was characterized by an increase in body weight (by 10.2 %) and a better ratio of external body parts characterizing them as animals with well-defined meat forms. The group of young rams with the genotype AG exceeded the group of young rams with the genotype GG by 6.0 % in live weight. The use of these genetic markers to assess and predict the meat quality of sheep will reveal additional reserves for increasing meat productivity through the realization of genetic potential, which will contribute to the growth of mutton production.