Abstract

The objectives of our study were to detect genetic polymorphisms in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor1- receptor (IGF-1R) genes by using SSCP and direct sequence methods and to investigate their possible associations with reproductive traits in Egyptian buffaloes. A total number of 100 buffalo heifers at Mahallet Mousa farm in Kafr El-sheikh province, Egypt were investigated. Animals were assigned into two main groups: normal fertile (50 animals) and infertile due to anestrous (50 animals). Blood samples were collected and the genomic DNA was extracted then PCR were performed with annealing temperatures at 58oC and 55oC for IGF1 and IGF1-R respectively. SSCP was performed for all amplified samples and loaded into a non-denaturing 12% polyacrylamide gel. Four amplicon from both of IGF-1 and IGF-1R genes for the two investigated groups were sequenced using the same primers. 265-bp from 5-untranslated region (5-UTR) of IGF-1 gene and 311-bp from IGF-1R (part of intron 12 and part of exon 13) were amplified. In all investigated samples there was one SCCP pattern for IGF-1 and for IGF-1R genes in anestrus and normal fertile buffaloes’ groups Moreover there were no polymorphisms neither in IGF-1 nor IGF-1R after sequencing four samples from each buffaloes’ group for both of IGF-1 and IGF-1R genes. It seems that IGF-1 and IGF-1R are highly conserved in the investigated buffalo’s population.

Key words: Egyptian buffalo; Anestrus; DNA polymorphism; IGF-1; IGF-1R