A missense mutation of the <i>WNK1</i> gene affects cold tolerance in Chinese domestic cattle
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Inclement weather conditions, especially cold stress, have threatened the cattle industry. Cattle exposed to cold environments for a longer time suffer developmental delay, immunity decline, and eventually death. <i>WNK1</i> is a member of With-no-lysine kinases (<i>WNK</i>s), widely expressed in animal organs and tissues. <i>WNK1</i> and <i>WNK4</i> are expressed in adipose tissue, and <i>WNK4</i> promotes adipogenesis. <i>WNK1</i> does not directly affect adipogenesis but has been shown to promote <i>WNK4</i> expression in several tissues or organs. One missense mutation NC_037346.1:g.107692244, A > G, rs208265410 in the <i>WNK1</i> gene was detected from the database of bovine genomic variation (BGVD). Here, we collected 328 individuals of 17 breeds representing four groups of Chinese cattle, northern group cattle, southern group cattle, central group cattle, and special group cattle (Tibetan cattle). We also collected the temperature and humidity data records from their relative locations. The frequencies of the G allele in Chinese breeds increased from northern China to southern China, and the frequencies of the A allele showed an opposite trend. Our results indicate that the <i>WNK1</i> gene might be a candidate gene marker associated with cold tolerance.
恶劣天气条件，尤其是冷应激，已对养牛产业造成严峻威胁。长期暴露于低温环境的牛只，会出现发育迟缓、免疫力下降，最终甚至死亡。无赖氨酸激酶（With-no-lysine kinases，WNK）家族成员WNK1，在动物各器官与组织中广泛表达。WNK1与WNK4均在脂肪组织中表达，其中WNK4可促进脂肪生成。WNK1虽不直接调控脂肪生成，但已有研究证实其可在多种组织或器官中上调WNK4的表达。研究人员在牛基因组变异数据库（Bovine Genomic Variation Database，BGVD）中，于WNK1基因内检测到一处错义突变：NC_037346.1:g.107692244, A>G，rs208265410。本研究收集了代表中国黄牛四大类群（北方类群、南方类群、中原类群及特殊类群——藏牛）的17个品种共328头个体样本，同时采集了各采样区域的温湿度记录数据。研究结果显示，G等位基因频率在中国黄牛品种中呈现由北向南逐渐升高的趋势，而A等位基因频率则呈现相反的变化规律。本研究结果表明，WNK1基因或可作为与黄牛耐寒性相关的候选基因标记。
