Identification of Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP15) gene at exons 1 and 2 in Indigenous, Mozaffornagri, and Dorper ram breeds of Bangladesh and its phylogenetic relationship with other breeds

Sheep play a vital role in alleviating poverty and providing protein for the people of Bangladesh and they are popular for their mutton production. This study aimed to explore the polymorphisms in the BMP15 gene among various Bangladeshi ram breeds for devising genetic improvement strategies to boost mutton output and help reduce poverty. We collected blood samples from 25 rams, including the Indigenous, Mozaffarnagri, and Dorper breeds, all raised in a traditional farming system. After extracting DNA, we amplified the BMP15 gene at Exon-1 and Exon-2 using specific primer pairs. We used Sanger sequencing to sequence the amplified fragments at the Exon-1 end. A highly accurate method with a 99.99% success rate. The sequences were then aligned with the NCBI GenBank database and analyzed using BioEdit 6.0 and MEGA 12.0 software. Our findings confirmed that the BMP15 gene is present in all the breeds we studied, but we didnt find any polymorphisms among the Bangladeshi rams. The phylogenetic analysis showed strong genetic connections between local and international breeds. These results suggest the potential for enhancing Indigenous sheep through male-line genetic manipulation techniques, like selective semen use or artificial insemination, while preserving the BMP15 sequences to improve their productive traits.