INTERROGATING THE CHICKEN GROWTH HORMONE GENE OF SELECTED NIGERIAN CHICKEN BREEDS USING DNA-SEQUENCING DATA

Abstract

The growth hormone gene is one of the most significant genes in the body. It regulates hormones related to growth, development, and egg production in avian species among other important traits. The study is centred on understanding the cellular, molecular, and biological mechanisms underlying the activity of the gene by interrogating it using the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. After extraction of genomic DNA in selected Nigerian indigenous chickens (FUNNAB Alpha, Noiler, Frizzled feathered, Fulani ecotype), and an exotic broiler chicken (Cobb 500), it was amplified at intron 3 of the cGH yielding a product of 715bp. These were sequenced and aligned against the chicken genome with the BLAST programme of the NCBI website to verify their identity. A dendrogram for the five studied chickens and five closely matched species after carrying out Basic Local Alignment Search (BLAST) was generated showing their relationship using the facility for generating phylogenetic relationships on the website. Dendrogram for the five studied chickens based on Nei's unbiased genetic distances was also obtained using MEGAX software. The cGH gene identified was subjected to functional enrichment analysis using the STRING database concentrating on ascertaining molecular, cellular, and biological processes/pathways associated with the gene. Functional enrichment analysis revealed key associated genes of cGH, as well as the processes and pathways linked to the gene. Markedly, the gene’s involvement in the regulation of growth, protein, endocrine, cell proliferation, cell signaling, enzyme activity, response to food, and regulation of appetite were highlighted amongst others. The study has contributed to a profound perception of how the gene impacts on growth and development of avian species. Conclusively, the study revealed that a combination of transcriptomic data and pathway analysis could serve as a powerful tool that will be helpful in the unraveling of the complex molecular activities linked to growth in the chickens.