Presence of SNPs in GDF9 mRNA of Iranian Afshari sheep

ABSTRACT

Background: Multiple births occur frequently in some Iranian sheep breeds, while infertility scarcely occurs. Mutation detection in major fecundity genes has been explored in most of Iranian sheep flocks over the last decade. However, previously reported single nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] for bone morphogenetic protein receptor-[BMPR]-1B and growth differentiation factor] GDF9[known to affect fertility have not been detected. This study was conducted to assess whether any significant mutations in GDF9 were extracted from slaughtered ewe ovaries of Iranian Afshari sheep breed