RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MYOSTATIN GENE SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS AND GROWTH TRAITS IN GOATS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

A member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, myostatin (MSTN) functions in the regulation and growth of muscle mass in animals. The MSTN gene's single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are implicit in their relationship with growth traits in multiple agricultural species, although the research has been limited with regards to goats. As such, the objective of the paper was to conduct a systematic review of the relationship between the SNPs of the MSTN gene and growth traits in goats. 4 databases were systematically evaluated, and 6 studies were found to be eligible. The 6 included articles observed 24 SNPs of the MSTN gene across several breeds, and 5 articles identified 7 SNPs with a significant association to at least one growth trait. All identified SNPs were unique to the studies, except 368A>C of exon 1 which was identified in 2 articles and can potentially be used as a candidate genetic marker. The systematic review concludes that there is an existing relationship between the MSTN gene's SNPs and growth traits in goats and further studies need to be done to confirm the validity of the identified MSTN gene SNPs so that they might be used as potential genetic markers in goats.