Abstract:
Objective Selection signals of egg-laying Jinding duck and Longyan Shanma duck for effective identification of target genes and pathways for breeding were investigated.
Method Thirty Jinding ducks and Longyan Shanma ducks each were randomly selected for whole-genome resequencing. Based on the sequences, GATK was used to obtain single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) and conduct principal component analysis (PCA). Subsequently, the population genetic differentiation index, Fst, and the population nucleotide diversity ratio, π ratio, were used to comprehensively screen for selection signals. Candidate genes were subjected to GO and KEGG enrichment analysis for functional confirmations.
Result A vast number of 307 247 849 SNPs were obtained by the resequencing. Significant genetic differentiations between Jinding duck and Longyan Shanma duck were indicated by PCA. The Fst and π ratio calculated by using a sliding window of 100 kb and a step size of 10 kb, respectively, were separated by the following thresholds into groups of top 5% Fst at Fst>0.353, top 5% π ratio at π ratio≥1.49, and bottom 5% π ratio at 0<π ratio≤0.41. As a result, 200 annotated genes in the overlapping signal regions were identified to be the candidates for the selection. Subsequently, analyses revealed that 79 of these genes were significantly enriched in 204 GO functions and 5 KEGG pathways. And the functional genes related to the economic traits of interest were identified to include ELOVL7, HACD4, JAK2, ETV1, HOMER1, HTR1D, ACVR2A, PCSK5, SLC1A3, ANXA1, PTAFR, INHBB, and IL31RA.
Conclusion Genetically, Jinding duck and Longyan Shanma duck were significantly different. This study identified selection signals of 13 genes related to lipid metabolism, growth and development, immunity, and reproduction that could significantly facilitate breeding fowls with desired traits.