Rabbit myostatine gene polymorhism (c.747+34C>T and c.194A>G) as a marker for meat production

Myostatin gene (MSTN or GDF-8) affects both, the amount and composition of muscle fibers. MSTN plays a key role in muscle growth and it has applications in breeding and animal husbandry. Polymorphic variants of this gene are associated with growth rates and carcass yield of different species. This study is focused on two single nucleotide polymorphisms: MSTN SNP C.747+34C>T and MSTN SNP C.194A>G and their effect on selected production traits. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood. Polymorphic variants of MSTN gene were detected using PCR-RFLP method. Association studies revealed significant positive effect of allele T (C.747+34C>T) and allele G (C.194A>G) on meat performances in tested rabbit population.