Extensive research has been carried out regarding the correlation between the growth traits of livestock and genetic polymorphisms, including single nucleotide polymorphisms and copy number variations (CNV). The purpose of this study was to analyze the CNV and its genetic effects of the Opn4 gene in 284 Guizhou goats (Guizhou black goat: n = 186, Guizhou white goat: n = 98). We used qPCR to detect the CNV of the Opn4 gene in Guizhou goats, and the classification results were correlated with the corresponding individual growth traits by SPSS software. The results showed that the Opn4 gene had a superior effect on growth traits with multiple copy variants in Guizhou black goats, and there was a significant correlation between copy number variation sites and body length traits. Contrary to the former conclusion, in Guizhou white goats, individuals with the Normal copy number type showed superior growth traits and copy number variant sites were significantly associated with body weight traits. Therefore, the CNV of the Opn4 gene can be used as a candidate molecular genetic marker to improve goat growth traits, speeding up the breeding process of goat elite varieties.
Keywords: Guizhou goat; Opn4 gene; copy number variation (CNVs); growth traits.