Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #96619
Title: A SINGLE STRAND CONFORMATIONAL POLYMORPHISM IN THE BOVINE GENE STAT5A

Author
item Antoniou, Eric
item HIRST, B - UNIV OF READING - UK
item Grosz, Michael
item SKIDMORE, C - UNIV OF READING - UK

Submitted to: Animal Genetics
Publication Type: Research Notes
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Milk protein gene expression in mammary epithelial cells is regulated by the action of prolactin mediated though the STAT5A (Signal Transduction and Activator of Transcription 5A) protein. While STAT5A-deficient mice developed normally, mammary lobuloalveolar development during pregnancy was impeded, and females failed to lactate after parturition because of a failure of terminal differentiation 1. Since the STAT5A protein has a central role in this pathway, STAT5A gene is a candidate gene for dairy cattle quantitative traits. A microsatellite was described in an intron of the gene 2. However, there are major alleles (frequencies from 0.78 to 0.94) in several breeds 2 which is likely to limit the utilization of this marker. Additional polymorphism is necessary to help to investigate the role of STAT5A in milk production trait variations. A PCR fragment of 795 bp was amplified from genomic DNA and cloned. The fragment was sequenced and contains the entire SH2 domain of the STAT5A protein (GenBank No AF079568). Primers were designed that amplify 379 bp of this SH2 domain and a Single Strand Conformational polymorphism (SSCP) was characterized.

Technical Abstract: Milk protein gene expression in mammary epithelial cells is regulated by the action of prolactin mediated though the STAT5A (Signal Transduction and Activator of Transcription 5A) protein. While STAT5A-deficient mice developed normally, mammary lobuloalveolar development during pregnancy was impeded, and females failed to lactate after parturition because of a failure of terminal differentiation 1. Since the STAT5A protein has a central role in this pathway, STAT5A gene is a candidate gene for dairy cattle quantitative traits. A microsatellite was described in an intron of the gene 2. However, there are major alleles (frequencies from 0.78 to 0.94) in several breeds 2 which is likely to limit the utilization of this marker. Additional polymorphism is necessary to help to investigate the role of STAT5A in milk production trait variations. A PCR fragment of 795 bp was amplified from genomic DNA and cloned. The fragment was sequenced and contains the entire SH2 domain of the STAT5A protein (GenBank No AF079568). Primers were designed that amplify 379 bp of this SH2 domain and a Single Strand Conformational polymorphism (SSCP) was characterized.