Association Between Growth Hormone Receptor Gene Polymorphism and Body Weight in Growing Rabbits

The current study was performed to investigate the association of the SNP c.106C>G which is located in exon 3 of growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene with body weight in rabbits. Baladi Red (local breed) and New Zealand White rabbits (exotic breed) were used, body weights at 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of age of 10 individuals/sex/breed were considered as the phenotypic parameters. The individuals were genotyped by PCR-RFLP method using Hinf1 as a restriction enzyme. The results showed that the body weight of NZW rabbits was significantly higher than the local breed over all ages, however the sex effect was mostly insignificant. The gene frequency results showed that the frequency of CC genotype was 0.10 overall individuals of the two breeds. The frequencies of the two alleles were found to be 0.225 (allele C) and 0.775 (allele G), and the frequency of allele C was slightly higher in NWZ than local Baladi rabbits. Highly significant (p≤0.002) associations were found between CC genotype and body weights at 6, 10 and 12 weeks of age. The results suggested the possibility of using polymorphism of exon 3 of the GHR gene as a candidate gene for body weight in both local and exotic rabbit breeds in Egypt.