Relationships between the Mini-InDel Variants within the Goat CFAP43 Gene and Body Traits

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The cilia- and flagella-associated protein 43 (CFAP43) gene plays an important role in the formation of flagella and cilia, and limited research has been conducted on the effect of this gene on animal body traits. Herein, the relationships between three insertion/deletion polymorphisms (L-13, L-16, and L-19) of the goat CFAP43 gene and body traits were analyzed in 1827 Shaanbei white cashmere goats. The findings showed that L-13 was related to chest depth; L-16 was associated with body length, chest width, cannon circumference, and back height; L-19 was associated with body length, chest circumference, and cannon circumference. The ideal genotypes for most of these traits are the deletion/deletion or insertion/deletion genotypes, which is consistent with previously published ideal genotypes for litter size at these loci; therefore, these loci are expected to be molecular markers for improving both body traits and litter size traits. ABSTRACT: The cilia- and flagella-associated protein 43 (CFAP43) gene encodes a member of the cilia- and flagellum-associated protein family. Cilia on the cell surface influence intercellular signaling and are involved in biological processes such as osteogenesis and energy metabolism in animals. Previous studies have shown that insertion/deletion (InDel) variants in the CFAP43 gene affect litter size in Shaanbei white cashmere (SBWC) goats, and that litter size and body traits are correlated in this breed. Therefore, we hypothesized that there is a significant relationship between InDel variants within the CFAP43 gene and body traits in SBWC goats. Herein, we first investigated the association between three InDel variant loci (L-13, L-16, and L-19 loci) within CFAP43 and body traits in SBWC goats (n = 1827). Analyses revealed that the L-13, L-16, and L-19 loci were significantly associated with chest depth, four body traits, and three body traits, respectively. The results of this study are in good agreement with those previously reported and could provide useful molecular markers for the selection and breeding of goats for body traits.