Status of the F94L mutation of the myostatin gene in cattle breeds in Indonesia

A missense F94L mutation of the bovine myostatin gene (MSTN-F94L) has been used as an alternative marker for increasing meat yield without any severe problems primarily on reproduction traits in beef cattle. The mutant A allele of MSTN-F94L is considered to be exclusive in the Limousin breed. In our previous study, the wild-type C allele of MSTN-F94L was found to be fixed in Bali, Sumbawa, and Holstein-Friesian cattle. However, we found four of 168 individuals of Pasundan cattle carrying the mutant A allele. Therefore, to confirm the status of the mutant A allele of MSTN-F94L mutation in other cattle breeds in Indonesia, a total of 388 bulls representing 5 cattle breeds (Limousin, Simmental, Holstein-Friesian, Bali and Peranakan Ongole) from two National Artificial Insemination Centers (NAICs) of Indonesia were used in this study. All bulls were genotyped using PCR-RFLP methods. We found that the mutant A allele was only present in Limousin bulls with high frequency (94%). The frequency of CC, CA, and AA genotypes in Limousin bulls were 0.9, 9.3, and 89.7%, respectively. In contrast, no mutant A allele was found in the other breeds. This study showed that the mutant A allele of MSTN-F94L mutation may originate from Limousin bulls. The origin of the mutant A allele in Pasundan cattle may be derived from the Limousin bulls of NAICs through artificial insemination (AI). Limousin bulls are the only bull breeds as a source of the mutant A allele of MSTN-F94L in NAICs.