Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (1): 168-177.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2025.01.016

• Animal Genetics and Breeding • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Correlation Analysis between Melanin Content in Breast Muscle and PMEL17 Gene of Muchuan Black-bone Chickens

YIN Qiong1(), GAO Mingchao2, YAO Xiumei1, LIU Kunyu1, LIU Wei1, JIE Hongwei1, LI Hua1,2, YE Fei1,*()   

  1. 1. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Molecular Design and Precise Breeding, Foshan University, Foshan 528225, China
    2. Guangdong Tinoo's Foods Co., Ltd., Qingyuan 511500, China
  • Received:2024-06-19 Online:2025-01-23 Published:2025-01-18
  • Contact: YE Fei E-mail:2200816811@qq.com;yefei0831@fosu.edu.cn

Abstract:

To investigate the selection and breeding indexes and molecular markers for melanin deposition in early growth stages of Muchuan black-bone chickens, 54 Muchuan black-bone chickens at 35 days of age were selected as research subjects to determine the melanin content of the breast muscle and skin color difference, the relative expression of PMEL17 gene in different tissues by using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, the SNPs sites of PMEL17 gene by using Sanger sequencing, and statistics of genotypes frequency of the mutation sites, and their association analysis was performed with melanin content of the breast muscle. The results showed that there was a highly significant positive correlation between melanin content of breast muscle and breast skin yellowness b value, and a significant positive correlation with leg skin brightness L value; the PMEL17 gene was expressed highest in skin tissues; a total of 5 mutation sites were found in the PMEL17 gene, among which, the SNP G-553A locus was associated with melanin deposition in Muchuan black-bone chickens and the AG genotype was the dominant genotype at this mutation site. In conclusion, at 35 days of age, the yellowish b value of the breast skin and the brightness L value of the leg skin of Muchuan black-bone chickens could be used as indicators for the preliminary estimation of the melanin content of the breast muscle; the PMEL17 gene was associated with the melanin deposition in the breast muscle of Muchuan black-bone chickens, and the significantly related SNP G-553A could be used as a molecular marker for the melanin deposition in the breast muscle. This study provides a theoretical basis for the selection and breeding of Muchuan black-bone chickens and enriches the germplasm characteristics of local breeds.

Key words: Muchuan black-bone chickens, melanin deposition, PMEL17, SNPs

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