Polymorphism of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) gene in the Tsigai and Edilbay sheep breeds and its relationship with body weight

Gene polymorphism has a significant effect on the phenotypic differences between organisms. One of the key genes regulating mammalian growth and development is the insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) gene. In this regard, we carried out work, the main purpose of which was to study the polymorphism of the IGF-1 gene in sheep of the Tsigai and Edilbay breeds and the relationship with their live weight. The genotyping revealed the CT, TT, CC genotypes in Edilbay sheep, and CT and TT genotypes in Tsigai sheep. It was found that in sheep of the Edilbay breed, the difference in live weight between different genotypes was 5.0% (p0.005) in favor of sheep with the TT genotype. In Tsigai sheep with CT and CC genotypes, there was practically no difference in body weight and amounted to 0.48% (P0.5) in favor of sheep with CT genotype. Taking into account the fact that the live weight of farm animals is interconnected with their meat productivity, the distribution of polymorphic variants of the IGF-1 gene in sheep of the Edilbay and Tsigai breeds provides a perspective for further research.