Association of the bovine growth hormone gene with Holstein cattle reproductive parameters

Objective. To determine the association of intron 3 polymorphism of the bovine growth hormone (BGH) gene, with age at first service, first birth, first postpartum service and second birth in a population of Holstein cows in the state of Antioquia. Materials and methods. The study was conducted on 408 Holstein cows in 8 herds. Genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP technique with DNA extracted from peripheral blood by the salting out technique. The Phenotypic information used was collected for 4 years, from a dairy production control program. To determine the association between characteristics and gene polymorphism, parametric statistical analyzes were performed as generalized linear models and linear regression analysis. Results. Allele frequency (positive) was 0.91 and was 0.09 for (negative) allele. Genotypic frequencies were 0.77, 0.2 and 0.03 for (positive/positive), (positive/negative) and (negative/negative) respectively. There were significant differences between the mean of age at first service, age at first birth, age at first postpartum service and age at second birth. For all of the (negative/negative) genotype characteristics there were greater ages for each event. Conclusions. These results suggest that intron-3 polymorphism of the BGH gene is associated with reproductive traits, facilitating the selection of individuals with favorable genotypes for use in breeding programs.