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HEREDITAS ›› 2011, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (9): 953-961.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1005.2011.00953

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Progress in exploring genes for high fertility in ewes

WANG Jian-Qi, CAO Wen-Guang   

  1. Institute of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
  • Received:2010-12-19 Revised:2011-01-26 Online:2011-09-20 Published:2011-09-25

Abstract: Fecundity trait in sheep is regulated by some major genes. Among them, BMPR-IB, BMP-15, and GDF-9 are most distinguishing. The mutant FecB of BMPR-IB has multiplicative effects on ovulation. GDF-9’s mutants FecGH, FecI, and BMP-15’s mutants FecXI, FecXH, FecXG, FecXB, FecXL, and FecXR increase ovulation rate in the heterozygote but result in sterile phenotypes in the homozygote, while GDF-9’s mutant, FecGE, only increases ovulation rate in the homozygote. In addition, Woodlands and Lacaune are known as inheritable major genes. Woodlands gene is an X-linked ma-ternally imprinted gene, and Lacaune is similar to FecB with a multiplicative effect on ovulation rate. The size of the effect of one copy of a mutation on ovulation rate ranges from an extra 0.4 ovulations for the woodlands mutation to an extra 1.5 ovulations for the BMPR-IB and Lacaune mutation. Investigation into these genes will not only help to select breeds with high fertility, but also give a chance to further elucidate the mechanism involved in the phenomenon. This review summaries the source, location, phenotype, and mechanism of the major genes in all breeds of sheep.

Key words: major gene, mutant, prolific, sheep