EFFECTS OF IGFI POLYMORPHISM ON CARCASS TRAITS IN IMPROVED NIGERIAN INDIGENOUS CHICKEN

Résumé

Molecular genetics selection on individual genes is a promising method to genetically improve economically important traits in chickens. Chicken insulin-like factor 1 gene (IGFI) is a biological and positional candidate gene for growth, body composition, metabolic and skeletal traits, and fat deposition in chickens. In this study, IGF-1 gene polymorphism of improved Nigerian indigenous chickens was investigated using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). Blood samples were collected from 46 randomly chosen improved Nigerian indigenous chicken. Genomic DNA was extracted using Qiagen DNA extraction kits and amplified using polymerase chain reaction technique (PCR). The promoter and 5' untranslated region of the fowl IGF-I gene was amplified to produce a 621 bp fragment. The PCR products were electrophoresed and the amplicon digested with restriction enzyme, Hinfl and electrophoresed on 2.5% agarose gel, stained by ethidium bromide and the digested fragments were genotyped. The genotype revealed two alleles A and B. In this population, AA, AB, BB genotypes have been identified with 27%, 50% and 23% frequencies respectively. A and B alleles frequencies were 0.52, 0.48, respectively. The Chi-square (¢) test was significant and the population was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p<0.05). The IGF-1 gene polymorphism did not show any significant association with the carcass traits of the chicken used.