On the Disappearance of the Pleiotropic Effect of the N Gene of the Scale Cover in Carp (<i>Сyprinus carpio</i> L.)

Abstract

Previously, numerous studies have shown a broad pleiotropic effect of the dominant allele of the scaly cover gene N. Carriers of this allele are inferior to recessive nn homozygotes in terms of growth rate and viability, and also differ in a number of physiological and meristic traits. In the present work, a case of the absence of pleiotropy was found: when scaleless females (ssNn) and males with scattered scale cover (ssnn) were crossed, naked and scattered offspring did not differ in growth rate, viability, and hematological parameters. The pleiotropic effect of the N gene was preserved only in terms of meristic characters. The absence of a negative effect of the N gene on productivity traits opens up the possibility of using naked carps in aquaculture.