Candidate gene markers for sperm quality and fertility in bulls

Abstract

Fertility is one of the primary traits of reproduction in bulls. Decrease in fertility is a multifactorial condition and is very difficult to diagnose. Among various causes genetic abnormality holds a major share. By identifying various genes that have effects on fertility the genetic cause behind subferility can be explored and also other non genetic factors can be identified. Advancement of molecular genetic tools now easily enables us to explore individual genes in animals. Identification of these genes will eventually lead to genome assembly and development of novel tools for analysing complex genetic traits. This paper gives a brief idea about the candidate genes for bull fertility, including genes encoding hormones and their receptors, proteins of the seminal plasma, proteins involved in spermatozoa-ovum binding and genes influencing sexual development. The chromosomal location and gene structure are described, based on the bovine genome assembly. © The authors.