The SNP c.1326T>G in the non-SMC condensin I complex, subunit G (NCAPG) gene encoding a p.Ile442Met variant is associated with an increase in body frame size at puberty in cattle.

ABSTRACT

Recently, we had located a bovine carcass weight QTL, CW-2, to a 591-kb interval on BTA6 and have identified the SNP c.1326T>G in the NCAPG (non-SMC condensin I complex, subunit G) gene that leads to the amino acid change p.Ile442Met in the NCAPG protein, which is a candidate causative variation. Here, we examined the association of the NCAPGc.1326T>G locus with linear skeletal measurements of growth-associated traits during adolescence, which is a period of intensive growth, using two historically and geographically distant cattle populations 792 Japanese Black steers and 161 F(2) bulls of an experimental cross from Charolais and German Holstein. In both populations, the SNP NCAPGc.1326T>G was associated with each component of body frame size height, length and width at puberty. The associations of CW-2 with height- and length-associated traits were observed at an earlier growth period compared to the associations with thickness- and width-associated traits, indicating that the primary effect of the CW-2 QTL may possibly be exerted on skeletal growth. The significant associations of the NCAPGc.1326T>G locus with growth-associated skeletal measurements are similar to the effects of the syntenic region on human chromosome 4 that are associated with adult height in humans, supporting the hypothesis that CW-2 is analogous to the human locus and pointing to a conserved growth-associated locus or chromosomal region present in both species.