Association Analysis of LCORL Genetic Variant (rs657074013) with Wither-Height in Pakistani Goats

Abstract

The goat stands as one of the most valued and economically efficient domestic animals, contributing significantly to human welfare through the provision of meat, milk, fiber, skin, and manure. Notably, the initial two production traits are contingent upon the physical attributes of the animals, exemplified by characteristics such as large body size and skeletal frame. Earlier (GWA) studies, employing high-density arrays, have revealed a noteworthy association of various variants located at the boundaries of NACPG and LCORL genes across diverse livestock species. Objective: To investigate the genetic variability/association of rs657074013A>AT variant of LCORL gene within diverse goats from Pakistan. Methods: ARMS-PCR genotyping technique was used where, a total of 51 goats belongs to diverse breeds were screened with allele-specific set of primers. Results: Current study showed that 27% sampled population is homozygous wild-type (A/A), 24% is homozygous-mutant (AT/AT) and 49% is heterozygous (A/AT) with a significant genetic association X2 p- value = 9.60 x 10-5  using PLINK. Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium revealed that overall sampled population obeys the principle with X2 (2, N=51) = 0.046, p = 0.9730. Furthermore, alternative allele frequencies (AAF) of 0.68 and 0.28 were also observed within cases and control cohorts respectively along with an odds-ratio of 5.242 which depicts the AAF is ~5 times higher in cases vs controls. Conclusions: In summary, this pilot-scale study has advanced our genomic understanding by examining the variability and association of this LCORL variant (c.828_829insA) within the Pakistani goat population. The insights gained hold promise for enhancing this economically crucial trait through the implementation of marker-assisted breeding strategies in this particular species and warrant further exploration in other livestock species to broaden our understanding and potential applications