Allelic polymorphism of PIT1 and STAT5B genes and their association with growth and carcass traits in Mazandaran native fowl

This investigation was aimed to study polymorphism of PIT1 and STAT5B genes and their association with growth and carcass traits in Mazandaran native fowl. For this purpose, 200 sexed male chicks of Mazandaran native fowls reared in the same conditions and all were slaughtered at 12 weeks of age. Traits before and after slaughter including live weight at 4, 8 and 12 weeks of age, body weight, heart, liver, gizzard, spleen, abdominal fat, meat pH, water holding capacity of the meat and intramuscular fat were measured and recorded. Before the destruction of all birds, blood samples were collected and extraction of DNA from samples were performed by Cinnagen kit. Then, the desired locus of each gene was amplified using specific primers and genotyped using PCR-RFLP method by specific enzymes. The frequency of each allele (+) and (-) were determined 0.715 and 0.285 in PIT1 locus and 0.355 and 0.645 in STAT5B gene locus, respectively. Phenotypic and genotypic data analysis using SAS9.12 statistical software showed a significant association between PIT1 genotypes and live weights at 12 weeks of age, carcass weight and liver weight and also STAT5B genotypes with live weights at 8 weeks of age and abdominal fat (P <0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that PIT1 and STAT5B genes can be used as candidate genes for growth and carcass traits in Mazandaran native fowls breeding programs.