A Preliminary Investigation of Myostatin Gene (MSTN) Variation in Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) and Its Implications for Venison Production in New Zealand

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Myostatin is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. Despite variation in the myostatin gene having been reported in livestock species, little work has been undertaken in red deer (Cervus elaphus). This study describes the presence of two nucleotide sequences of the myostatin gene in New Zealand red deer, but no association was found between this variation and selected muscle and growth traits. ABSTRACT: Myostatin (MSTN), also known as growth differentiation factor 8 (GDF-8), is a negative regulator of lean muscle tissue growth. Variation in the gene has been studied in many domesticated species, because of its potential to dramatically increase muscle mass. It has, however, not been investigated in red deer (Cervus elaphus). In this study, variation in MSTN intron 1 was investigated in 211 male New Zealand red deer, for which phenotypic measurements of M. Longissimus dorsi (eye muscle) (width, depth, and area, together with 12-month weight) were recorded. Two sequence variants (named A and B) differing by one nucleotide (c.373 + 224) were identified in the intron 1 region of the gene resulting in three genotypes (AA, AB, and BB; frequencies of 63.5%, 30.8%, and 5.7%, respectively), but no association between this variation and any of the quantitative measurements was detected. These results suggest that the deer MSTN is less variable than for other livestock species and that its activity may be controlled to maintain a size–growth equilibrium.