A novel indel within the bovine SEPT7 gene is associated with ovary length

The ovary can generate oocytes and secrete female hormones and thus is of great significance to animal fertility. In turn, the functioning of this organ has an effect on the profit margins of the livestock breeding industry. As the development-regulating gene and target gene of miR-202, SEPT7 might play an important role in ovarian growth. Therefore, we hypothesized that SEPT7 is related to ovarian traits owing to the regulation of gonad-specific miR-202. To further investigate the connection between bovine SEPT7 and ovarian development, we analyzed data from 408 samples. After genotyping and analyzing three selected loci, we found that two out of the three loci (L1 and L5) were polymorphic, of which the minimum allelic frequencies were 0.417 (L1) and 0.094 (L5). Moreover, one novel indel L1 of SEPT7 was associated with ovarian length (p < 0.05). More specifically, individuals with II and ID genotypes have longer ovaries than those with the DD genotype. Our work shows that SEPT7 can be selected as a testing marker gene for animal fertility. Our findings contribute to improving the prospects of the cattle industry and the wider use of genetic techniques in breeding.