CANDIDATE GENES ASSOCIATED WITH STALLION SPERM QUALITY

Abstract

The identification of genetic substitutions affecting the malefertility attracts the attention of many researchers. However, in Russia, insufficient attention is currently paid to the study and use of the obtained genetic data related to the quality of animal sperm. As a result of GWAS analysis in 2022, marker single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified and candidate genes GRM8, FSHR, INHA, IMMP1L were proposed. The task was to sequence candidate loci to identify polymorphisms that determine the formation of traits associated with sperm quality for the development of marker selection and genome editing programs. As a result of the study, a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms were found in the GRM8, FSHR, INHA, IMMP1L genes. After the analysis, the effect of the detected SNPs in the GRM8 gene on sperm quality in stallions of various breeds was discovered. Also, based on the obtained SNPs located in the GRM8 gene, a dendrogram was constructed. As a result of the analysis of the obtained dendrogram, the stallion sample was divided into 2 main branches. Stallions of the left branch are superior to stallions of the right in terms of volume, sperm concentration, total motility, stimulation of respiratory activity 2.4 DNF of fresh sperm and after cryopreservation (by 3.28 ml, by 9.62 million/ml, by 3.6%, by 0.16 and 0.46, respectively). However, individuals of the right branch are superior to individuals of the other branch in terms of progressive motility of fresh sperm, progressive motility after thawing (by 18.44% and by 1.54%, respectively). New knowledge was obtained about the genetic polymorphism of exonic regions of the GRM8, FSHR, INHA, IMMP1L genes in stallions of different breeds.