Ovarian expression analysis of fecundity candidate genes in Goat breeds differing in prolificacy

To understand the genetics of goat fertility, goat breeds differing in prolificacy were used for exploring candidate genes using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Ovaries (both left and right) of Black Bengal, Osmanabadi and Sirohi goats (n=3 from each breed) were collected from the local abattoir located in their respective breeding tracts. The RNA isolated from antral follicles was converted into cDNA. The β-Actin (ACTB) was used as a reference gene for quantifying the expression of BMP15, GDF9, BMPR1B, KISS1 and GPR54 mRNAs in ovaries. The results showed that BMPR1B, GDF9 and BMP15 genes were highly expressed whereas KISS1 and GPR54 were slightly expressed in the ovaries. Significant differences (P<0.05) were recorded in the gene expression of GDF9 and BMP15. Expression of these two genes varied in prolificacy being highest in Black Bengal followed by Osmanabadi and least in Sirohi. BMPR1B expression did not vary significantly among the goat breeds. In conclusion, the study provides baseline data and contributes toward the understanding of the molecular basis of prolificacy in goat breeds.