Association of SERPING1 gene single nucleotide polymorphism with resistance to natural strongyle infection among native goats in humid tropical Kerala

Strongylosis poses a significant threat to goat populations, particularly in humid tropical regions like Kerala, a southern peninsular state in India. This study aimed to compare breed differences in host resistance and resilience to natural strongyle infection between Attappady Black and Malabari goats reared under semi-intensive systems. Additionally, we analyzed the association of a potential single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the Serine Proteinase Inhibitor Clade G member 1 (SERPING1) gene with these traits. Faecal egg count (FEC) and volume of packed red cells (VPRC) were employed as indicators of host resistance and resilience, respectively. Over the course of one year, fortnightly phenotypic data on FEC and VPRC were collected from 109 native goats, including 58 Malabari and 51 Attappady Black goats. The Malabari goats exhibited greater resistance and resilience to strongylosis, evidenced by significantly lower FEC (p≤0.01) and higher VPRC (p≤0.05) compared to Attappady Black goats. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a highly significant negative correlation between FEC and VPRC (r= −0.41, p<0.01). Genotyping of the −312-C>T SNP in SERPING1 gene was conducted using modified bidirectional PCR amplification of specific alleles (Bi-PASA). While the association between SERPING1 genotypes and FEC was not significant, a significant association was observed between SERPING1 genotypes and VPRC (p<0.05). These findings underscore the importance of breed-specific differences in goat resilience to strongyle infection and highlight the potential role of SERPING1 gene polymorphism in modulating host resilience traits.