Correlation analysis of European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) Growth Hormone (GH) Gene and Growth Traits

Abstract The growth hormone (GH) gene has important regulatory roles in postnatal somatic growth, metabolism and development of vertebrates and fish. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic variations in a partial region of the GH gene and its associations of these variants with growth traits using DNA sequencing in 200 European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) individuals. Five haplotypes (HAP1-5) and ten novel SNPs were identified as g.1557 A>T, g.1611 T>C, g.1663 C>G, g.1799 T>C, g.1824 T>C, g.1912 T>A, g.2052 G>C in the 1st partial intron, 2nd exon, 2nd intron and 3rd partial exon of GH gene in European sea bass. The genotypes of GH g.1611 T>C locus were found associated with total weight, fillet weight and head length (p < 0.05). Association between the genotypes of GH g.1557A>T and pre-anal length, abdominal length were found statistically significant (p < 0.05). Similarly, the genotypes of g.1857 C>T loci which caused the synonymous mutation in phenylalanine amino acid were found associated with standard length (P<0.05). The HAP4 has greater weight and length traits than the other haplotypes (p < 0.05). Taken together, the HAP4 with positive effects on body weight and length traits should be used as a potential marker to improve the accuracy of selection in European sea bass in Mediterannean conditions.