SHORT COMMUNICATION doi:10.1111/j.1365-2052.2009.01997.x SNPs in the porcine GOT1 gene improve a QTL for serum aspartate aminotransferase activity on SSC14
G. Reiner*, N. Clemens*, E. Lohner† and H. Willems* *Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Justus-Liebig-University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. †Animal Health Service Baden Wurtemburg, D 70111 Fellbach, Germany
Summary Clinical–chemical traits are essential parameters to quantify the health status of individuals and herds, but the knowledge about their genetic architecture is sparse, especially in swine. We have recently described three QTL for serum aspartate aminotransferase activity (sAST), and one of these maps to a region on SSC14 where the aspartate aminotransferase coding gene GOT1 is located. This QTL was only apparent under the acute burden of a model disease. The aim of the present study was to characterize GOT1 as a candidate gene and to test the effects of different GOT1 SNPs as potential quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) for sAST. Nine SNPs within GOT1 were identified, and SNP c.-793C>G significantly increased the QTL effects and narrowed the confidence interval from 90 to 15 cM. Additionally, we found a significant association of SNP c.-793C>G in a commercial outbred line, but with reversed phase. We conclude that GOT1 is a putative candidate gene for the sAST QTL on SSC14, and that SNP c.-793C>G is close to the responsible QTN.
Keywords clinical–chemical traits, GOT1, quantitative trait loci, single nucleotide poly- morphism, swine.
Cytosolic aspartate aminotransferase (EC. 2.6.1.1), formerly details on the parasite model are given in Reiner et al. 2002, known as glutamate oxalacetate transaminase (GOT), is 2007b). The aim of the present study was to increase the involved in several central metabolic pathways, and repre- significance and to narrow the confidence interval of the sents a link between amino acid, carbohydrate and fat QTL by consecutive inclusion of GOT1 SNPs into the QTL metabolism (McPhalen et al. 1992). Aspartate amino- analysis, thus identifying candidate QTN for the sAST QTL transferase activity in serum (sAST) is a common clinical– on SSC14. chemical marker for parenchyma damage, mainly of muscle Experiments were carried out with 126 F2 pigs of the and liver cells (Jackson 2007). Significant breed differences Pietrain/Meishan F2 family described by Reiner et al. in sAST have been described (Friendship & Henry 1992; (2007a, 2009). Existing genotypes and phenotypes (sAST Reiner et al. 2002), but the genetic background of this from the healthy pigs and during the acute phase of variation still remains unknown. Variants in the GOT1 gene Sarcocystosis as a model disease) were supplemented with might be relevant both for metabolism and diagnostics, but new SNP information. Additionally, association studies of until now, no GOT1-polymorphisms have been reported in the GOT1 SNPs were carried out with 153 unrelated, the literature. We have recently mapped three QTL for the healthy gilts (120 kg live weight; German Landrace · Large activity of sAST (Reiner et al. 2007a). One of these QTL was White) of one outbred population, derived from four mapped to a region on SSC14 where GOT1 is located, commercial production facilities. making it reasonable to search for the basic gene variant Genomic DNA was extracted from EDTA-stabilized blood. within the gene itself. The moderate QTL was significant on PCR was performed with the Qiagen Multiplex PCR Kit. PCR a genome-wide level only after the acute burden of a model primers were designed with OLIGO 4.0 (Eurofins MWG infection (by the metazoic parasite Sarcocystis miescheriana; operon). Primer design was based on the GOT1 mRNA sequence (acc. no. M24088), because the respective DNA Address for correspondence sequence was not available. Amplicons of the GOT1 pro- G. Reiner, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Justus-Liebig- moter were amplified with primers deduced from BAC clone University, D-35392 Giessen, Germany. CH242-276N12 (preEnsemble, http://pre.ensembl.org/). All E-mail: [email protected] primers, annealing temperatures and amplicon sizes are Accepted for publication 23 September 2009 listed in Table S1. PCR conditions were as follows: initial