Polymorphisms in the Myostatin-1 gene and their association with growth traits in Ancherythroculter nigrocauda

Myostatin( MSTN) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β gene superfamily that negatively regulates skeletal muscle development and growth. In the present study, partial genomic fragments of Myostatin-1(MSTN-1) in two commercial hatchery populations of Ancheryth r oculter nigrocauda, an economically important freshwater fish, were screened for single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) and then genotyped by direct sequencing of PCR products. Five SNPs were identified in intron 1 and exon 2, including a non-synonymous mutation causing an amino acid change(Val to Ile) at position 180. Association analyses based on 300 individuals revealed that the g.1129T>C SNP locus was significantly associated with total length(TL), body length(BL), body height(BH) and body weight(BW) in 6-and 18-month-old populations, while the g.1289G>A locus was significantly associated with BH and BW in the 6-month-old population. Haplotype analyses revealed that fish with the genotype combinations TC/TC or TC/GA showed better growth performance. Our results suggest that g.1129T>C and g.1289G>A have positive effects on growth traits and may be candidate gene markers for marker-assisted selection in A. nigrocauda.