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Functional and Genetic Insights into the Role of the NR4A1 Gene in the Litter Size of the Shaanbei White Cashmere Goat
by
,
Ebadu Areb
1,2,3,†
,
Yutian Bi
1,†,
Yangyang Bai
1,
Qihui Zhu
1,
Lingyuan Ma
1,
Chuanying Pan
1,
Xiaolei Chen
2,* and
Xianyong Lan
1,* 1
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
2
College of Science, Northwest A & F University, Xianyang 712100, China
3
Central Ethiopia Agricultural Research Institute at Worabe Agricultural Research Center, Worabe P.O. Box 021, Ethiopia
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Animals 2025, 15(12), 1729; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15121729
Submission received: 27 March 2025
/
Revised: 6 June 2025
/
Accepted: 9 June 2025
/
Published: 11 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Molecular Genetics and Breeding of Cattle, Sheep, and Goats)
Simple Summary
Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1) is a transcription factor that plays a significant role in various physiological activities, including cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as reproductive signaling pathways. In this study, we identified genetic variations in the NR4A1 gene, both insertion/deletion (InDel) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), that are associated with litter size in goats. These findings offer new insights into the role of NR4A1 in goat reproduction. Therefore, NR4A1 could serve as a potential molecular marker for improving reproductive performance in goat breeding programs.
Abstract
Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1) plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes. As gene mining for reproductive traits is essential, this study aimed to investigate the mRNA expression, genetic variation, and association of the NR4A1 gene with goat litter size. We examined the mRNA expression levels of the NR4A1 gene in eight different tissues of female Shaanbei White Cashmere (SBWC) goats (n = 6). Then, a novel 11-bp insertion/deletion (InDel) variant was genotyped in 1136 SBWC goats, 87 SNPs were identified through resequencing (n = 120), and selection signal analysis was undertaken. The NR4A1 gene was expressed in all examined tissues, including the ovary and the oviduct, suggesting its role in goat reproduction. Both the 11-bp InDel and 13 SNP variants showed significant association with litter size. Additionally, four potential transcription factor binding sites were predicted within the insertion allele, which may contribute to increased litter size. Selection signal analysis revealed strong pressure on the NR4A1 gene region in the Cashmere goat population. These findings suggest that NR4A1 is a promising candidate gene for improving litter size in goats and could be utilized as a genetic marker in breeding programs.
Keywords:
goat; gene expression; genetic variation; litter size; NR4A1 gene; association analysis
