Genetic diversity analysis of C-type lectin like receptors genes in indigenous and white leghorn chickens

Abstract

C-type lectin like receptors (CLRs), play an important role in immune functions of the organisms. In chicken, B-NK and B-Lec genes encode CLRs that contain C-type lectin like domain. Polymorphism in CDS of B-NK and B-Lec genes were investigated in Ghagus, Nicobari and WLH breeds. Significant variations in polymorphisms were observed among three breeds. Highest number of SNPs was observed in Ghagus followed by Nicobari and WLH breed. Among two genes higher number of SNPs was detected in B-NK as compared to B-Lec gene. In B-NK gene, a total of 32 SNPs were detected in three breeds (24 in Ghagus, 23 in Nicobari and 17 in WLH). The interesting feature of polymorphism in this gene was that almost all SNPs were of NS type. A six bp identical insertion resulting in addition of two amino acids with open reading frame of 681bp was observed in Nicobari and WLH and no such insertion was observed in Ghagus. In B-lec gene, a total of 8 SNPs were detected in Ghagus while only 2 SNPs each in Nicobari and WLH breeds were detected. Phylogenetic analysis of coding sequence nucleotides of B-NK gene clustered Ghagus and red jungle fowl into a separate cluster. Study revealed higher variability in coding sequence of CLR genes in the form of higher SNPs in indigenous breeds of chicken.