SNP Association in the Leptin Gene and Beef Quality Traits in Indigenous Sudanese Baggara Cattle

The present study was conducted on 112 Sudanese Baggara bulls (Nyalawi and Mesairi strains) from two separate locations in Darfur and Kordofan, Sudan, raised under dryland farming conditions. A single nucleotide polymorphism (C/T) Arg25Cys in exon 2 of the bovine leptin gene (NC_032653.1) was studied and the association of leptin genotypes with meat quality attributes was evaluated for these two Sudanese Baggara cattle strains which comprise the mainstay of Sudan export and local beef trade. The accuracy of genotyping was checked through PCR-RFLP technique followed by DNA sequencing and analyzed using BioEdit, MEGA6 and project Hope softwares. The genotype frequencies for CC, CT and TT genotypes in Nyalawi strain were 37.5, 39.3 and 23.2%, respectively, whereas the respective genotypic frequencies for Mesairi strain were 46.4, 28.6 and 25%. Significant differences (P<0.05) were found in hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, Myofibril fragmentation index (MFI), water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss, moisture and fat between the two Baggara cattle strains. Association between the C>T SNP at the leptin gene and carcass weight, dressing and fat percentages was significant (P<0.05). It was concluded that Leptin gene polymorphisms contributed to the observed meat quality differences among these Sudanese cattle strains. This will allow for the use of molecular information in future selection of beef cattle in Sudan. The possible value of the leptin gene and its polymorphisms have been elucidated for the first time in Baggara cattle.