Distribution of <i>DGAT1</i> copy number variation in Chinese goats and its associations with milk production traits

Goat is an important sector for meat and dairy products. Diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (<i>DGAT1</i>), which is a key gene in milk production, has been recently detected to overlap with a novel copy number variation (CNV) in goats. CNVs could be genetic markers providing new insights into the genetic basis of phenotypic variation. Up to now, there are no reports on the <i>DGAT1</i>-related CNV (<i>DGAT1</i> CNV) in Chinese goats. This study first detected the distribution of the <i>DGAT1</i> CNV in Chinese seven goat breeds, finding substantial differences among dairy, meat, and fiber goats (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.01). The association analysis between the <i>DGAT1</i> CNV and milk production traits revealed significant associations: Xinong Sannen (XS) dairy goat with copy number loss type had higher freezing point depression (FPD) (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.01) and milk solids-not-fat (SNF) content (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). Overall, our study unraveled the distribution of <i>DGAT1</i> CNV in Chinese goats for the first time and found the potential role of this CNV in the marker-assisted selection of dairy goat breeding.