Abstract

Umami taste plays a key role in intake of amino acids. It is believed that the taste receptor type 1 member 1 (TAS1R1) and taste receptor type 1 member 3 (TAS1R3) receptors are to function in combination as a heteromeric umami taste receptor in humans and other mammals. Most of the previous studies laid particular emphasis on the taste sensitivity to umami substances or the relation of umami taste sensitivity to variations in candidate umami receptor genes in rodents or in humans. Taste thresholds were associated with body weight. In this article, the objective was to investigate variations in goat TAS1R1 gene and their associations with growth traits in 317 goats by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing methods. The results showed two novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): HM449123:g. [T3974C, C4037T]. In detail, two different alleles, A and B, were identified and three genotypes were observed, AA, AB, and BB with the frequency distribution of allele B from 0.59 to 0.67 in analyzed populations. The genetic diversity analysis revealed that all PIC values were between 0.34 and 0.37, implying that this locus within TAS1R1 gene possessed moderate genetic diversity in goat. Furthermore, nucleotide sequence analysis showed that HM449123:g. [T3974C, C4037T] resulted in two synonymous mutations. But association analysis demonstrated significant differences between different genotypes and production traits (such as body length, chest circumference and cannon circumference) of Haimen goats. We hope that it can provide valuable information for molecular marker-assisted selection.

Key words: Goat, PCR-SSCP, polymorphism, production traits, TAS1R1 gene