G protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54) gene, initially cloned from rat brain in 1999, is also referred to as kisspeptin 1 receptor (KiSS-1R) or AXOR12 gene [1]. GPR54, also known as a member of the rhodopsin family of G protein-coupled receptors, is the endogenous receptor of kisspetins which are peptides derived from KiSS-1 gene [2–4]. The human GPR54 gene is mapped to chromosome 19p13.3 and consists of five exons interrupted by four introns with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1,197 bp encoding a protein of 398 amino acids [1,5]. The pig GPR54 gene (GenBankTM accession number NC_010444.4) is mapped to chromosome 2q21–24 and has six exons and five introns.

KiSS-1/GPR54 system is generally considered as the essential regulator of puberty onset and reproductive function in many species [6]. So far, there have been many studies that reported that KiSS-1 gene could function as candidate gene for reproductive traits in animals, which revealed that this gene played an important role in animal reproduction [7–9]. Kisspeptins, encoded by KiSS-1 gene, are the endogenous ligands for the GPR54 and are able to directly stimulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone release (GnRH) via GPR54 [10,11]. Central and peripheral administration of kisspeptins could stimulate GnRH-dependent luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) release, and activate the development of puberty and gonadotropic axis [6,12,13]. Thus, it’s meaningful to hypothesize that GPR54 could make a difference in complicated molecular mechanism of animal prolificacy.

GPR54 gene ubiquitously expressed, with high mRNA levels in placenta [14], pituitary, pancreas [4], and limbic brain regions including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and periaqueductal gray etc [1,15]. More recent studies regarding GPR54 mRNA in situ hybridization have concentrated solely on identifying its presence in GnRH neurons [16,17]. Herbison et al using dual-labeling experiments showed that essentially all GPR54-expressing cells in the rostral preoptic area of nervous system were GnRH neurons as well [15]. Navarro et al [6] found that hypothalamic expression of GPR54 gene changed throughout the estrous cycle, and anoestrus sows had lower hypothalamic GPR54 mRNA content than estrus cyclic sows significantly [18].

Numerous studies have identified that inactivating mutations in GPR54 gene could result in idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) with delaying puberty onset and influencing FSH or LH secretion in human [19–22], which resembled the phenomenon observed in GPR54-deficient mice [14,19]. Meanwhile, other reports showed that activating mutations in GPR54 could give rise to central precocious puberty (CPP) in human with premature activation of GnRH releasing [23,24].

Up to now, there have been some research findings that have identified the GPR54 gene is associated with puberty and reproductive performance in animals, such as human [19–21], sheep [18,25], monkey [11], mice [14,19], and forth on. According to the studies above, its possible to hypothesize that the polymorphisms of GPR54 gene are related to sows’ reproductive function. However, the literatures concerning GPR54 gene and sows’ prolificacy were limited. Jiaxing Black pig, a famous local breed in China, is known for its significant characteristics of high prolificacy, sexual precocity, high adaptation and roughage-resistance and so on. In the present study, Jiaxing Black sows were selected as test animals, then we explored single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GPR54 gene by sequencing and further analyzed its hereditary effects on reproductive traits including total number of piglets born (TNB), number of piglets born alive (NBA), number of still born piglets (NSB), and litter weight at birth (LWB) in three different parities population. The aim of this study was to offer efficient molecular genetic markers for improving sow prolificacy and breeding.

All procedures involving animals were conducted in accordance with Chinese guidelines for animal welfare and approved by the animal welfare committee of the Animal Science College, Zhejiang University.

A great deal of research has demonstrated that GPR54 gene displayed abundant polymorphisms in many mammals. De Roux et al [20] amplified exon5 of GPR54 gene from IHH patients and observed a deletion of 155 bp lying between intron4 and exon5. The sequences of the GPR54 gene from the CPP patients revealed the presence of six SNPs including 855061G/A, 855765A/G, 856737G/A, 859955C/A, 860460G/A and 860868C/G as well [24]. Tang et al [25] reported that there were two mutations of GPR54 gene in Small Tail Han sheep, one nucleotide transition mutation (A125G) and one 5 bp deletion/insertion (TTCTT) mutation at the 163–167 loci in 5′-regulatory region of GPR54 gene. Chu et al [26] reported that two mutations (T2360C and A2411C) were only found in GPR54-Exon2 in prolific Hu sheep. A comparison of 45 amplified sequences of Indian indigenous goats resulted in identification of 2 novel SNPs, one was C1122T in exon1 and the other was T1830T in intron1 [27]. Feng et al [28] reported that five mutations, including C96T, T137C, G176A, G825A and C981T, were identified in exon1 and partial exon5 of GPR54 gene in Jining Grey goats. Cao et al [29] showed three mutation loci in exon5 of GPR54 gene in five goat breeds, G4014A, G4136A, and C4152T. Li et al [18] reported that seven SNPs (T245C, C384T, T1411C, A1635G, G1766T, C2488A, and T3295C) were identified in the White Duroc×Erhualian intercross pigs and the mutation T245C showed quite different allele distribution in Chinese and Western breeds. The present study also detected three SNPs (T3739C, C3878T, and T6789C) in GPR54 gene in Jiaxing Black sows. The results all above together indicated a significant difference in the distribution of polymorphisms of GPR54 gene in different species, which may be related to the biological evolution of the gene.

According to correlation analysis, to some extent, we assumed that the polymorphisms of GPR54 gene were possibly related to reproductive function in Jiaxing Black sows and verified that T3739C could be a potential marker-assisted selection site that played an important role in reproduction trait. Apart from this present study, there have been many other studies indicated that GPR54 gene could have some effects on reproduction in animals. A series of literatures had identified the loss-of-function mutations of GPR54 gene could result in IHH in human and mice with impairment of pubertal maturation and reproductive function [14,19–21]. Teles et al [23] identified an autosomal dominant GPR54 mutation (Arg386Pro) that led to prolonged activation of intracellular signaling pathways in response to kisspeptins and appeared to be associated with CPP. Luan et al [24] also found a nonsynonymous mutation was statistically related to some cases of CPP. In addition to investigations on human beings, many studies have been reported on various animals, but the studies on pigs are still very limited. The report by Feng showed that Jining Grey goats with genotype BB and AB had 1.07 and 0.40 lambs more than those with genotype AA, respectively, besides, genotype DD and CD had 1.80 and 0.55 lambs that were more than those with CC, which suggested there was an association between alleles B, D and high litter size [28]. And as for the 4,152 locus, Jining Grey goat with genotype TT and CT had 1.02 and 0.84 kids more than those with genotype CC respectively [29]. Small Tail Han sheep ewes with genotype CC had 0.66 or 0.49 lambs more than those with genotype DD or CD, respectively, which implied that allele C at the 163 to 167 locus in GPR54 gene may be a potential marker for improving litter size in sheep [25]. Based on this present study, the results we observed from Jiaxing Black sows echoed the reports mentioned above that the gene could weigh somewhat on hormone metabolism and thereby affect reproductive traits.

However, there were some opposite findings that showed the polymorphisms of GPR54 gene were not associated with reproduction traits. Chu and his colleagues had found two mutations in exon2 of ovine GPR54 gene, but the results were not able to justify the relation of GPR54 gene to litter size in sheep [26]. Li et al [18] also found seven SNPs in GPR54 gene, but no significant association of GPR54 haplotypes and haplotype pairs with age at puberty was observed in White Duroc and Erhualian pigs, implying that the mutations in GPR54 gene were not responsible for divergent age at puberty. Since the reproductive performance of animals is controlled by multi genes, in order to verify whether the GPR54 gene is the major gene or related gene which could affect prolificacy of sows, there is a need for further studies with more of breeds and animals to confirm the association of SNPs with reproductive traits.

The results of the present study provide, at first, the sequences of six exons as well as three SNP loci of GPR54 gene exons in Jiaxing Black sows. The present study preliminarily showed an association between the three SNP loci and reproductive traits which including TNB, NBA, NSB, and LWB in Jiaxing Black sows, thus indicating that the GPR54-T6789C locus may play an important role in reproductive function. But difference in reproductive traits for different genotypes requires additional data based on more animals to confirm the significant effect. At last, it should be efficient for researchers to make use of GPR54 gene exons polymorphisms for maker-assisted selection to improve reproductive performance of sows.