Polymorphism of heat shock proteins in Muturu and Bunaji breeds of cattle

This investigation was carried out with the aim of determining the genetic variation of the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene, an essential molecular chaperone responsible for stress response among indigenous Muturu and Bunaji cattle breeds. Blood samples were obtained from randomly chosen 11 cattle in Warri and Ibadan, Nigeria. The genomic DNA was isolated, followed by amplification of the HSP70 gene through PCR and sequencing. Multi-sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed the presence of 11 different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including 10 base changes and one guanine deletion. Although there is a need for more studies to validate these genetic variations, the findings indicate the possible effects of the genetic variations on protein folding and chaperone activities that would theoretically result in thermotolerance and adaptability among these breeds. The findings in this study identify these SNPs as possible markers that can be used in Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) for breeding resilient cattle in the future.