Characterization of two microsatellites in chicken monoamine oxidase A

• Published in: Animal science journal Vol. 79; no. 5; pp. 641 - 643
• Main Authors: Hong, K.W.(Gifu Univ. (Japan)), Inoue Murayama, M, Nakamura, A, Nagao, K, Ito, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne, Australia Blackwell Publishing Asia 01.10.2008; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: AMINE OXIDASE; AMINE OXYDASE; AMINO OXIDASA; Animal sciences; BREEDS (ANIMALS); chicken; CHICKENS; Comparative studies; GENE; GENES; GENETIC MARKERS; Genetics; MARCADORES GENETICOS; MARQUEUR GENETIQUE; MICROSATELITES; MICROSATELLITE; MICROSATELLITES; monoamine oxidase A; Nagoya breed; POLLO; Population genetics; POULET; Poultry; RACE (ANIMAL); RAZAS (ANIMALES)
• ISSN: 1344-3941; 1740-0929
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2008.00575.x

We surveyed two polymorphic microsatellites in a candidate gene for fear response, monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), in chicken. Two hundred and eighty chickens from five breeds (Nagoya, Mikawa, White Leghorn, White Plymouth Rock, and Rhode Island Red) were investigated. A thymine (T) repeat and an adenine (A) repeat were found on MAOA intron 4 (CMin4T) and intron 9 (CMin9A), respectively. Nine alleles (127-bp to 166-bp) in CMin4T and six alleles (184-bp to 198-bp) in CMin9A were detected. A 128-bp allele in CMin4T was observed in the Nagoya breed only, implying a highly useful marker for discriminating the Nagoya breed from other breeds. In addition, the Mikawa breed had the fixed 127-bp and 798-bp alleles in CMin4T and CMin9A, respectively. The Nagoya breed chickens show densely cowardly behavior, but the Mikawa breed chickens do not show the same behavior. The current results may indicate that MAOA is an informative candidate gene for breed difference.