Exploring the distribution of polymorphism across diverse breeds Worldwide in the bovine NR5A2 gene and its correlation with number of mature follicles and corpus albicans.

The Nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 2 (NR5A2) gene plays a pivotal role in ovarian development, ovulation, and reproductive traits. There is a lack of studies on its impact on ovarian traits and reproductive traits in cattle. This study aimed to explore NR5A2 gene polymorphisms associations with reproductive traits and investigate the distribution of NR5A2 gene polymorphisms across diverse bovine breeds worldwide. We identified a novel 17-bp deletion within the NR5A2 gene specifically in Chinese Holstein cows (n = 1033) leading to the observation of two genotypes DD and ID. Subsequent association analysis revealed a significant correlation between the 'ID' genotype at this locus and a larger number of corpus albicans (p = 0.042) in diestrus, as well as a higher number of mature follicles (p = 0.038) in estrus. In addition, we also found that the distribution of this deletion exhibits strong regionality across different cattle breeds globally. These findings indicate that the 17-bp deletion mutation within the NR5A2 gene is significantly associated with an increased corpus luteum diameter and a greater number of mature follicles, suggesting its potential utility as a valuable DNA marker for enhancing cow fertility.