Expression, SNP identification, linkage disequilibrium, and haplotype association analysis of the growth suppressor gene ZBED6 in Qinchuan beef cattle.

Zinc finger, BED-type containing 6 (ZBED6) is a novel transcription factor that was identified and shown to act as a repressor of IGF2 transcription in skeletal muscle myogenesis and development. The aims of this study were to determine ZBED6 expression level and examine the association of the ZBED6 polymorphism with growth traits in Qinchuan beef cattle. The bovine ZBED6 mRNA was detected in eight tissues by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), being highly expressed in skeletal muscle. Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified the bovine ZBED6 by sequencing pooled DNA samples (Pool-Seq) and forced polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (forced PCR-RFLP) methods. In this study, we reported one mutation in the promoter and two missense mutations in the coding regions within the bovine ZBED6 gene, and the haplotype variability and extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in 817 individuals from the Qinchuan (QC) and Chinese Holstein (CH). We also investigated haplo...