Polymorphism identification in the goat KITLG gene and association analysis with litter size.

Summary This study reported the analysis of KIT ligand ( KITLG) gene polymorphisms in 681 goats of three breeds: Xinong Saanen (SN), Guanzhong (GZ), and Boer (BG). In addition, the study identified three allelic variants: g.769 T> C and g.817 G> T in SN and GZ breeds, and g.9760 G> C in the three goat breeds. The g.769 T> C and g.817 G> T loci were closely linked ( r² > 0.33). All the single nucleotide polymorphism loci were in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium ( P < 0.05). Significant associations were found for litter size with all three loci. Therefore, these results suggest that the KITLG gene is a strong candidate gene affecting litter size in goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]