A 31-bp indel in the 5' UTR region of GNB1L is significantly associated with chicken body weight and carcass traits

Abstract

Background: G-protein subunit beta 1 like ( GNB1L ) encodes a G-protein beta-subunit-like polypeptide. Chicken GNB1L is upregulated in the breast muscle of high feed efficiency chickens, and its expression is 1.52-fold that in low feed efficiency chickens. However, no report has described the effects of GNB1L indels on the chicken carcass and growth traits.Results: This study identified a 31-bp indel in the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of GNB1L and elucidated the effect of this gene mutation on the carcass and growth traits in chickens. The 31-bp indel showed a highly significant association with the body weight at 8 different stages and was significantly correlated with daily gains at 0 to 4 weeks and 4 to 8 weeks. Similarly, the mutation was significantly associated with small intestine length, breast width, breast depth and breast muscle weight. Moreover, DD and ID were superior genotypes for chicken growth and carcass traits.Conclusions: These results show that the 31-bp indel of GNB1L significantly affects chicken body weight and carcass traits and can serve as a candidate molecular marker for chicken genetics and breeding programs.