Sequence variants in the bovine PRDM16 gene associated with body weight in Chinese cattle breeds.

As a zinc-finger protein, PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16) controls brown fat determination by stimulating brown fat cell production while suppressing the expression of genes for production of white fat cells; mutations in this domain are associated with myelodysplastic syndrome and leukemogenesis. In our study, polymorphisms in exons 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 of the PRDM16 gene were detected by PCR-SSCP, DNA sequencing and CRS-PCR-RFLP methods in 1031 cattle of the Chinese breeds: Jiaxian, Nanyang, Qinchuan, and Chinese Holstein. Three mutations (NC_007314.3: g.577 G>T, 614 T>C, 212237 T>C) were detected. Animals with the homozygote genotype had lower body weight and average daily gain than those with the other genotypes. PRDM16 gene-specific SNPs may be useful markers for growth traits for marker-assisted selection programs.