Skip to main content

Whole-Genome Sequencing

Genome-Wide Association Study of Body Size Traits in Luning Chickens Using Whole-Genome Sequencing



Chickens are one of the most economically important animals in the world with a population of over 34.4 billion in 2023 according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics. The broiler industry has evolved significantly over the past century, with a focus on rapid growth rates, efficient feed conversion, and high meat yield. Chicken is the second most numerous meat product in China, and mainly comes from white-feather and yellow-feather chickens. 

With the development of breeding technology, marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) have been increasingly utilized in the broiler industry to improve breeding efficiency and enhance target traits. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and causal genes across the genome can be utilized to accurately estimate each chicken’s genetic potential for specific traits. Therefore, the identification of candidate genetic markers and genes would allow for more accurate and efficient selection of breeding stock, leading to faster genetic improvement and ultimately enhancing the quality and yield of broiler meat for consumers.

Chicken growth traits are well known for their genetic architectural complexity. Currently, there are 5339 chicken quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to the growth traits in the Animal QTL Database (https://www.animalgenome.org/cgi-bin/QTLdb/index, accessed on 24 April 2024). The accuracy and precision of locating QTL depends, in part, on the density of the linkage map created. Unfortunately, the denser the map, the more likely that false positive QTL will be detected with linkage map-based QTL methods. A more precise mapping of traits is possible with newly available genome sequences and genome-wide association studies (GWASs).

The GWAS is a powerful study design that can identify associations between genome-wide sets of genetic variations and a specific trait using genome resequencing or high-density chip technology. This methodology has generated a myriad of robust associations for a range of traits and diseases, and the number of associated variants is expected to grow steadily as GWAS sample sizes increase. With the development of modern breeding technology, GWASs have also been implemented in domestic animals to identify the genetic factors associated with important economic traits. Most of these GWASs were carried out using SNP chips due to high sequencing costs. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is a more efficient technology that can detect rare and undiscovered variants. It was more appropriate to explore genomic variation information by WGS with reduced costs.

Luning chickens are mainly located in Mianning County, Sichuan Province, China. As a well-known native breed, Luning chickens have a large body size, and exhibit well-developed chest and leg muscles, high muscle quality, high suitability, and resistance to disease. The increasing market demand has driven the price of Luning chickens to more than 10 times that of ordinary broilers. All the yellow feather broilers used in production are developed from local chicken breeds. Luning chickens are an underutilized genetic resource which needs a systematic evaluation. We aim to cultivate new genetic materials that meet market and industry development needs.

Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease, Tay-Sachs disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, fragile X syndrome, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, thalassemia, Marfan syndrome, Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, phenylketonuria (PKU), neurofibromatosis, spinal muscular atrophy, Prader-Willi syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Rett syndrome, Wilson's disease,

#GeneticDisorders, #DNA, #GeneMutation, #RareDiseases, #DownSyndrome, #CysticFibrosis, #HuntingtonsDisease, #SickleCell, #Thalassemia, #MarfanSyndrome, #PKU, #TurnerSyndrome, #FragileX, #Hemophilia, #MuscularDystrophy, #Neurogenetics, #Genomics, #InheritedDisorders, #MolecularBiology, #PrecisionMedicine


International Conference on Genetics and Genomics of Diseases

Visit: genetics-conferences.healthcarek.com

Award Nomination: genetics-conferences.healthcarek.com/award-nomination/?ecategory=Awards&rcategory=Awardee

Award registration: genetics-conferences.healthcarek.com/award-registration/

For Enquiries: contact@healthcarek.com

Get Connected Here
---------------------------------
---------------------------------
in.pinterest.com/Dorita0211
twitter.com/Dorita_02_11_
facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555903296992
instagram.com/p/C4ukfcOsK36
genetics-awards.blogspot.com/
youtube.com/@GeneticsHealthcare

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fruitful innovation

Fruitful innovation: Transforming watermelon genetics with advanced base editors The development of new adenine base editors (ABE) and adenine-to-thymine/ guanine base editors (AKBE) is transforming watermelon genetic engineering. These innovative tools enable precise A:T-to-G and A:T-to-T base substitutions, allowing for targeted genetic modifications. The research highlights the efficiency of these editors in generating specific mutations, such as a flowerless phenotype in ClFT (Y84H) mutant plants. This advancement not only enhances the understanding of gene function but also significantly improves molecular breeding, paving the way for more efficient watermelon crop improvement. Traditional breeding methods for watermelon often face challenges in achieving desired genetic traits efficiently and accurately. While CRISPR/Cas9 has provided a powerful tool for genome editing, its precision and scope are sometimes limited. These limitations highlight the need for more advanced gene-e...

Genetic factors with clinical trial stoppage

Genetic factors associated with reasons for clinical trial stoppage Many drug discovery projects are started but few progress fully through clinical trials to approval. Previous work has shown that human genetics support for the therapeutic hypothesis increases the chance of trial progression. Here, we applied natural language processing to classify the free-text reasons for 28,561 clinical trials that stopped before their endpoints were met. We then evaluated these classes in light of the underlying evidence for the therapeutic hypothesis and target properties. We found that trials are more likely to stop because of a lack of efficacy in the absence of strong genetic evidence from human populations or genetically modified animal models. Furthermore, certain trials are more likely to stop for safety reasons if the drug target gene is highly constrained in human populations and if the gene is broadly expressed across tissues. These results support the growing use of human genetics to ...

Genetics study on COVID-19

Large genetic study on severe COVID-19 Bonn researchers confirm three other genes for increased risk in addition to the known TLR7 gene Whether or not a person becomes seriously ill with COVID-19 depends, among other things, on genetic factors. With this in mind, researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, in cooperation with other research teams from Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, investigated a particularly large group of affected individuals. They confirmed the central and already known role of the TLR7 gene in severe courses of the disease in men, but were also able to find evidence for a contribution of the gene in women. In addition, they were able to show that genetic changes in three other genes of the innate immune system contribute to severe COVID-19. The results have now been published in the journal " Human Genetics and Genomics Advances ". Even though the number of severe cases following infection with the SARS-CoV-...