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Giovannini S, Chessari G, Riggio S, Marletta D, Sardina MT, Mastrangelo S, Sarti FM. Insight into the current genomic diversity, conservation status and population structure of Tunisian Barbarine sheep breed. Front Genet 2024; 15:1379086. [PMID: 38881792 PMCID: PMC11176520 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1379086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Local livestock breeds play a crucial role in global biodiversity, connecting natural and human-influenced environments and contributing significantly to ecosystem services. While commercial breeds dominate industrial systems, local livestock breeds in developing countries, like Barbarine sheep in Tunisia, are vital for food security and community maintenance. The Tunisian Barbarine sheep, known for its adaptability and distinctive fat-tailed morphology, faces challenges due to historical crossbreeding. In this study, the Illumina Ovine SNP50K BeadChip array was used to perform a genome-wide characterization of Tunisian Barbarine sheep to investigate its genetic diversity, the genome structure, and the relationship within the context of Mediterranean breeds. The results show moderate genetic diversity and low inbreeding. Runs of Homozygosity analysis find genomic regions linked to important traits, including fat tail characteristics. Genomic relationship analysis shows proximity to Algerian thin-tailed breeds, suggesting crossbreeding impacts. Admixture analysis reveals unique genetic patterns, emphasizing the Tunisian Barbarine's identity within the Mediterranean context and its closeness to African breeds. Current results represent a starting point for the creation of monitoring and conservation plans. In summary, despite genetic dilution due to crossbreeding, the identification of genomic regions offers crucial insights for conservation. The study confirms the importance of preserving unique genetic characteristics of local breeds, particularly in the face of ongoing crossbreeding practices and environmental challenges. These findings contribute valuable insights for the sustainable management of this unique genetic reservoir, supporting local economies and preserving sheep species biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Giovannini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Giorgio Chessari
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Silvia Riggio
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Donata Marletta
- Dipartimento Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Sardina
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Mastrangelo
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesca Maria Sarti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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Zhang L, Liang L, Kasimu H, Li W, Liu M, Li H, He S. A 76-base pair duplication within the enhancer region of the HMX1 gene causes sheep microtia. Gene 2024; 909:148307. [PMID: 38395239 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Sheep congenital microtia is characterized by underdeveloped ears and provides an ideal basis for studying human microtia. This study identified the causal mutation and regulatory mechanisms underlying this disorder. Whole-genome association analysis was conducted using 23 ear tissue samples from sheep with microtia and 28 samples from normal-eared sheep. A significant correlation was found between microtia and a 76-base pair duplication in the enhancer region of the HMX1 gene. Further analysis of offspring phenotypes confirmed an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Genotypic analysis showed that individuals that are homozygous for this duplication were earless, heterozygous individuals exhibited shortened ears, and wild-type individuals had normal ears. Moreover, luciferase assays confirmed that this duplication increased HMX1 gene expression, and duplication knock-in mice also exhibited shorter and narrower external ears compared to wild-type mice. Transcriptomic analysis further demonstrated that this duplication enhanced HMX1 gene expression in animal models. This study characterized the causal regulatory mutation underlying sheep microtia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Zhang
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830052, China; Key Laboratory of Ruminant Genetics, Breeding & Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Institute of Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830011, China
| | - Long Liang
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Genetics, Breeding & Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Institute of Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830011, China
| | - Hailati Kasimu
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Genetics, Breeding & Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Institute of Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830011, China
| | - Wenrong Li
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Genetics, Breeding & Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Institute of Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830011, China
| | - Mingjun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Genetics, Breeding & Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Institute of Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830011, China
| | - Haiying Li
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830052, China.
| | - Sangang He
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Genetics, Breeding & Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Institute of Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830011, China.
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Zhao L, Yuan L, Li F, Zhang X, Tian H, Ma Z, Zhang D, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Huang K, Li X, Cheng J, Xu D, Yang X, Han K, Weng X, Wang W. Whole-genome resequencing of Hu sheep identifies candidate genes associated with agronomic traits. J Genet Genomics 2024:S1673-8527(24)00068-7. [PMID: 38582298 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
The phenotypic diversity resulting from artificial or natural selection of sheep has made a significant contribution to human civilization. Hu sheep are a local sheep breed unique to China with high reproductive rates and rapid growth. Genomic selection signatures have been widely used to investigate the genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic variation in livestock. Here, we conduct whole-genome sequencing of 207 Hu sheep and compare them with the wild ancestors of domestic sheep (Asiatic mouflon) to investigate the genetic characteristics and selection signatures of Hu sheep. Based on six signatures of selection approaches, we detect genomic regions containing genes related to reproduction (BMPR1B, BMP2, PGFS, CYP19, CAMK4, GGT5, and GNAQ), vision (ALDH1A2, SAG, and PDE6B), nervous system (NAV1), and immune response (GPR35, SH2B2, PIK3R3, and HRAS). Association analysis with a population of 1299 Hu sheep reveal those missense mutations in the GPR35 (GPR35 g.952651 A>G; GPR35 g.952496 C>T) and NAV1 (NAV1 g.84216190 C>T; NAV1 g.84227412 G>A) genes are significantly associated (P < 0.05) with immune and growth traits in Hu sheep, respectively. This research offers unique insights into the selection characteristics of Hu sheep and facilitates further genetic improvement and molecular investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Lvfeng Yuan
- Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730046, China
| | - Fadi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Xiaoxue Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China
| | - Huibin Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Zongwu Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China
| | - Deyin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Yukun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Yuan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Kai Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Xiaolong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Jiangbo Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Dan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Xiaobin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Kunchao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Xiuxiu Weng
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
| | - Weimin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China.
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Baazaoui I, Bedhiaf-Romdhani S, Mastrangelo S, Lenstra JA, Da Silva A, Benjelloun B, Ciani E. Refining the genomic profiles of North African sheep breeds through meta-analysis of worldwide genomic SNP data. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1339321. [PMID: 38487707 PMCID: PMC10938946 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1339321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The development of reproducible tools for the rapid genotyping of thousands of genetic markers (SNPs) has promoted cross border collaboration in the study of sheep genetic diversity on a global scale. Methods In this study, we collected a comprehensive dataset of 239 African and Eurasian sheep breeds genotyped at 37,638 filtered SNP markers, with the aim of understanding the genetic structure of 22 North African (NA) sheep breeds within a global context. Results and discussion We revealed asubstantial enrichment of the gene pool between the north and south shores of the Mediterranean Sea, which corroborates the importance of the maritime route in the history of livestock. The genetic structure of North African breeds mirrors the differential composition of genetic backgrounds following the breed history. Indeed, Maghrebin sheep stocks constitute a geographically and historically coherent unit with any breed-level genetic distinctness among them due to considerable gene flow. We detected a broad east-west pattern describing the most important trend in NA fat-tailed populations, exhibited by the genetic closeness of Egyptian and Libyan fat-tailed sheep to Middle Eastern breeds rather than Maghrebin ones. A Bayesian FST scan analysis revealed a set of genes with potentially key adaptive roles in lipid metabolism (BMP2, PDGFD VEGFA, TBX15, and WARS2), coat pigmentation (SOX10, PICK1, PDGFRA, MC1R, and MTIF) and horn morphology RXFP2) in Tunisian sheep. The local ancestry method detected a Merino signature in Tunisian Noire de Thibar sheep near the SULF1gene introgressed by Merino's European breeds. This study will contribute to the general picture of worldwide sheep genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imen Baazaoui
- Laboratory of Animal and Fodder Production, National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Sonia Bedhiaf-Romdhani
- Laboratory of Animal and Fodder Production, National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia, Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Salvatore Mastrangelo
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Johannes A Lenstra
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Anne Da Silva
- Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Limoges, E2LIM, Limoges, France
| | - Badr Benjelloun
- National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA Maroc), Regional Centre of Agronomic Research, Beni Mellal, Morocco
| | - Elena Ciani
- Dipartamento Bioscienze, Biotecnologie, Biofarmaceutica, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
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5
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Li T, Jin M, Wang H, Zhang W, Yuan Z, Wei C. Whole-Genome Scanning for Selection Signatures Reveals Candidate Genes Associated with Growth and Tail Length in Sheep. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:687. [PMID: 38473071 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Compared to Chinese indigenous sheep, Western sheep have rapid growth rate, larger physique, and higher meat yield. These excellent Western sheep were introduced into China for crossbreeding to expedite the enhancement of production performance and mutton quality in local breeds. Here, we investigated population genetic structure and genome-wide selection signatures among the Chinese indigenous sheep and the introduced sheep based on whole-genome resequencing data. The PCA, N-J tree and ADMIXTURE results showed significant genetic difference between Chinese indigenous sheep and introduced sheep. The nucleotide diversity (π) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay results indicated that the genomic diversity of introduced breeds were lower. Then, Fst & π ratio, XP-EHH, and de-correlated composite of multiple signals (DCMS) methods were used to detect the selection signals. The results showed that we identified important candidate genes related to growth rate and body size in the introduced breeds. Selected genes with stronger selection signatures are associated with growth rate (CRADD), embryonic development (BVES, LIN28B, and WNT11), body size (HMGA2, MSRB3, and PTCH1), muscle development and fat metabolism (MSTN, PDE3A, LGALS12, GGPS1, and SAR1B), wool color (ASIP), and hair development (KRT71, KRT74, and IRF2BP2). Thus, these genes have the potential to serve as candidate genes for enhancing the growth traits of Chinese indigenous sheep. We also identified tail-length trait-related candidate genes (HOXB13, LIN28A, PAX3, and VEGFA) in Chinese long-tailed breeds. Among these genes, HOXB13 is the main candidate gene for sheep tail length phenotype. LIN28A, PAX3, and VEGFA are related to embryonic development and angiogenesis, so these genes may be candidate genes for sheep tail type traits. This study will serve as a foundation for further genetic improvement of Chinese indigenous sheep and as a reference for studies related to growth and development of sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taotao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Meilin Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Huihua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wentao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zehu Yuan
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Caihong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
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Yi W, Hu M, Shi L, Li T, Bai C, Sun F, Ma H, Zhao Z, Yan S. Whole genome sequencing identified genomic diversity and candidated genes associated with economic traits in Northeasern Merino in China. Front Genet 2024; 15:1302222. [PMID: 38333624 PMCID: PMC10851152 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1302222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Northeast Merino (NMS) is a breed developed in Northeast China during the 1960s for wool and meat production. It exhibits excellent traits such as high wool yield, superior meat quality, rapid growth rate, robust disease resistance, and adaptability to cold climates. However, no studies have used whole-genome sequencing data to investigate the superior traits of NMS. Methods: In this study, we investigated the population structure, genetic diversity, and selection signals of NMS using whole-genome sequencing data from 20 individuals. Two methods (integrated haplotype score and composite likelihood ratio) were used for selection signal analysis, and the Fixation Index was used to explore the selection signals of NMS and the other two breeds, Mongolian sheep and South African meat Merino. Results: The results showed that NMS had low inbreeding levels, high genomic diversity, and a pedigree of both Merino breeds and Chinese local breeds. A total length of 14.09 Mb genomic region containing 287 genes was detected using the two methods. Further exploration of the functions of these genes revealed that they are mainly concentrated in wool production performance (IRF2BP2, MAP3K7, and WNT3), meat production performance (NDUFA9, SETBP1, ZBTB38, and FTO), cold resistance (DNAJC13, LPGAT1, and PRDM16), and immune response (PRDM2, GALNT8, and HCAR2). The selection signals of NMS and the other two breeds annotated 87 and 23 genes, respectively. These genes were also mainly focused on wool and meat production performance. Conclusion: These results provide a basis for further breeding improvement, comprehensive use of this breed, and a reference for research on other breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Yi
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Mingyue Hu
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lulu Shi
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ting Li
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Chunyan Bai
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Fuliang Sun
- College of Agriculture, Yanbian University, Yanji, China
| | - Huihai Ma
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling, China
| | - Zhongli Zhao
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling, China
| | - Shouqing Yan
- College of Animal Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Vasu M, Ahlawat S, Chhabra P, Sharma U, Arora R, Sharma R, Mir MA, Singh MK. Genetic insights into fiber quality, coat color and adaptation in Changthangi and Muzzafarnagri sheep: A comparative skin transcriptome analysis. Gene 2024; 891:147826. [PMID: 37748630 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2023.147826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Changthangi sheep, which inhabit the high-altitude regions of Ladakh, are known for their fine fiber production and are characterized by grey skin and either black or white coats. In contrast, Muzzafarnagri sheep from the plains of Uttar Pradesh produce coarse wool and have white skin and coats. We conducted comparative global gene expression profiling on four biological replicates of skin from each breed. Notably, our analysis identified 149 up-regulated genes and 2,139 down-regulated genes in Changthangi sheep compared to Muzzafarnagri sheep, with a p-adjusted value (padj) of ≤0.05 and a Log2 fold change of ≥1.5. Gene Ontology analysis of the up-regulated genes revealed an enrichment of terms related to melanin biosynthesis and developmental pigmentation. Additionally, enriched KEGG pathways included tyrosine metabolism and metabolic pathways. Among the melanogenesis-related genes that exhibited higher expression in Changthangi sheep were TYR, TYRP1, DCT, SLC45A2, PMEL, MLANA, and OCA2. These findings confirm melanin's role in both the animals' black coat color and UV protection at high-altitude. Furthermore, we observed more pronounced expression of genes related to fiber quality, namely KRTAP6, KRTAP7, KRTAP13, and KRTAP2, in the fine wool-producing sheep from Ladakh. The results of the RNA sequencing were validated using real-time PCR on 10 genes governing fiber quality and coat color, with ACTB and PPIB serving as reference genes. In conclusion, our comparative skin transcriptome analysis of Changthangi and Muzzafarnagri sheep sheds light on the genetic differences associated with distinct phenotypic traits and environmental adaptability, offering valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahanthi Vasu
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, India; ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India
| | - Sonika Ahlawat
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, India.
| | - Pooja Chhabra
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, India
| | - Upasna Sharma
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, India
| | - Reena Arora
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, India
| | - Rekha Sharma
- ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, India
| | - M A Mir
- Mountain Research Centre for Sheep and Goat, Shuhama (Aulestang), SKUAST-Kashmir, India
| | - Manoj Kumar Singh
- ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, Mathura, India
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8
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Mereu P, Pirastru M, Sanna D, Bassu G, Naitana S, Leoni GG. Phenotype transition from wild mouflon to domestic sheep. Genet Sel Evol 2024; 56:1. [PMID: 38166592 PMCID: PMC10763062 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-023-00871-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The domestication of animals started around 12,000 years ago in the Near East region. This "endless process" is characterized by the gradual accumulation of changes that progressively marked the genetic, phenotypic and physiological differences between wild and domesticated species. The main distinctive phenotypic characteristics are not all directly attributable to the human-mediated selection of more productive traits. In the last decades, two main hypotheses have been proposed to clarify the emergence of such a set of phenotypic traits across a variety of domestic species. The first hypothesis relates the phenotype of the domesticated species to an altered thyroid hormone-based signaling, whereas the second one relates it to changes in the neural crest cells induced by selection of animals for tameness. These two hypotheses are not necessarily mutually exclusive since they may have contributed differently to the process over time and space. The adaptation model induced by domestication can be adopted to clarify some aspects (that are still controversial and debated) of the long-term evolutionary process leading from the wild Neolithic mouflon to the current domestic sheep. Indeed, sheep are among the earliest animals to have been domesticated by humans, around 12,000 years ago, and since then, they have represented a crucial resource in human history. The aim of this review is to shed light on the molecular mechanisms and the specific genomic variants that underlie the phenotypic variability between sheep and mouflon. In this regard, we carried out a critical review of the most recent studies on the molecular mechanisms that are most accredited to be responsible for coat color and phenotype, tail size and presence of horns. We also highlight that, in such a complicate context, sheep/mouflon hybrids represent a powerful and innovative model for studying the mechanism by which the phenotypic traits related to the phenotypic responses to domestication are inherited. Knowledge of these mechanisms could have a significant impact on the selection of more productive breeds. In fact, as in a journey back in time of animal domestication, the genetic traits of today's domestic species are being progressively and deliberately shaped according to human needs, in a direction opposite to that followed during domestication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Mereu
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Monica Pirastru
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
| | - Daria Sanna
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Università di Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Giovanni Bassu
- Agenzia FoReSTAS, Regione autonoma della Sardegna, 09123, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Salvatore Naitana
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Sassari, 07100, Sassari, Italy
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9
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Zhang CL, Zhang J, Tuersuntuoheti M, Zhou W, Han Z, Li X, Yang R, Zhang L, Zheng L, Liu S. Landscape genomics reveals adaptive divergence of indigenous sheep in different ecological environments of Xinjiang, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166698. [PMID: 37683864 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Sheep are important livestock animals that have evolved under various ecological pressures. Xinjiang is a region with diverse and harsh environments that have shaped many local sheep breeds with unique characteristics and environmental adaptability. However, these breeds are losing ecological flexibility due to the promotion of intensive farming practices. Here we sequenced 14 local sheep breeds from Xinjiang and analyzed their genetic structure and gene flow with other sheep breeds from neighboring regions. The Tibetan Plateau was the geographic origin of Xinjiang native sheep evolution. We performed genome-environment association analysis and identified Bio9: Mean Temperature of Driest Quarter and Bio15: Precipitation Seasonality as the key environmental factors affecting Xinjiang local sheep and the key genes involved in their survival and adaptation. We classified Xinjiang native sheep breeds into six groups based on their differential genes by pairwise selective sweep analysis and Community Network Analysis. We analyzed transcriptome expression data of 832 sheep tissues and detected tissue-specific enrichment of six group-specific genes in different biological systems. Our results revealed the genetic basis of year-round estrus, drought tolerance, hypoxia resistance, and cold tolerance traits of Xinjiang sheep breeds. Moreover, we proposed conservation strategies for Xinjiang local sheep breeds and provided theoretical guidance for breeding new sheep breeds under global extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Long Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Jihu Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Mirenisa Tuersuntuoheti
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Wen Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Zhipeng Han
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Xiaopeng Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Ruizhi Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Lulu Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Langman Zheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China
| | - Shudong Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China; Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Xingfu Road, Alar 843300, Xinjiang, China.
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10
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Woolley SA, Salavati M, Clark EL. Recent advances in the genomic resources for sheep. Mamm Genome 2023; 34:545-558. [PMID: 37752302 PMCID: PMC10627984 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-023-10018-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Sheep (Ovis aries) provide a vital source of protein and fibre to human populations. In coming decades, as the pressures associated with rapidly changing climates increase, breeding sheep sustainably as well as producing enough protein to feed a growing human population will pose a considerable challenge for sheep production across the globe. High quality reference genomes and other genomic resources can help to meet these challenges by: (1) informing breeding programmes by adding a priori information about the genome, (2) providing tools such as pangenomes for characterising and conserving global genetic diversity, and (3) improving our understanding of fundamental biology using the power of genomic information to link cell, tissue and whole animal scale knowledge. In this review we describe recent advances in the genomic resources available for sheep, discuss how these might help to meet future challenges for sheep production, and provide some insight into what the future might hold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shernae A Woolley
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Mazdak Salavati
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
- Scotland's Rural College, Parkgate, Barony Campus, Dumfries, DG1 3NE, UK
| | - Emily L Clark
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.
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11
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Kalds P, Huang S, Zhou S, Xi S, Fang Y, Gao Y, Sun K, Li C, Cai B, Liu Y, Ding Y, Kou Q, Sonstegard T, Petersen B, Kemp S, Ma B, Han JL, Chen Y, Wang X. ABE-induced PDGFD start codon silencing unveils new insights into the genetic architecture of sheep fat tails. J Genet Genomics 2023; 50:1022-1025. [PMID: 37516349 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kalds
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Department of Animal and Poultry Production, Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish University, El-Arish 45511, Egypt
| | - Shuhong Huang
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Shiwei Zhou
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Siyuan Xi
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio- breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yumeng Fang
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio- breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yawei Gao
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio- breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Kexin Sun
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Chao Li
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Bei Cai
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750000, China
| | - Yao Liu
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yige Ding
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Qifang Kou
- Ningxia Tianyuan Tan Sheep Farm, Hongsibu, Ningxia 751999, China
| | | | - Björn Petersen
- Institute of Farm Animal Genetics, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Mariensee, Neustadt am Rübenberge 31535, Germany
| | - Stephen Kemp
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi 30709-00100, Kenya
| | - Baohua Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jian-Lin Han
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi 30709-00100, Kenya; CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Yulin Chen
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock Biology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Xiaolong Wang
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Livestock Biology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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12
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Farhadi S, Hasanpur K, Ghias JS, Palangi V, Maggiolino A, Landi V. Comprehensive Gene Expression Profiling Analysis of Adipose Tissue in Male Individuals from Fat- and Thin-Tailed Sheep Breeds. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3475. [PMID: 38003093 PMCID: PMC10668686 DOI: 10.3390/ani13223475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been shown that tail fat content varies significantly among sheep breeds and plays a significant role in meat quality. Recently, significant efforts have been made to understand the physiological, biochemical, and genomic regulation of fat deposition in sheep tails in order to unravel the mechanisms underlying energy storage and adipose tissue lipid metabolism. RNA-seq has enabled us to provide a high-resolution snapshot of differential gene expression between fat- and thin-tailed sheep breeds. Therefore, three RNA-seq datasets were meta-analyzed for the current work to elucidate the transcriptome profile differences between them. Specifically, we identified hub genes, performed gene ontology (GO) analysis, carried out enrichment analyses of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, and validated hub genes using machine learning algorithms. This approach revealed a total of 136 meta-genes, 39 of which were not significant in any of the individual studies, indicating the higher statistical power of the meta-analysis. Furthermore, the results derived from the use of machine learning revealed POSTN, K35, SETD4, USP29, ANKRD37, RTN2, PRG4, and LRRC4C as substantial genes that were assigned a higher weight (0.7) than other meta-genes. Among the decision tree models, the Random Forest ones surpassed the others in adipose tissue predictive power fat deposition in fat- and thin-tailed breeds (accuracy > 0.85%). In this regard, combining meta-analyses and machine learning approaches allowed for the identification of three important genes (POSTN, K35, SETD4) related to lipid metabolism, and our findings could help animal breeding strategies optimize fat-tailed breeds' tail sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Farhadi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 51666-16471, Iran; (S.F.); (J.S.G.)
| | - Karim Hasanpur
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 51666-16471, Iran; (S.F.); (J.S.G.)
| | - Jalil Shodja Ghias
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 51666-16471, Iran; (S.F.); (J.S.G.)
| | - Valiollah Palangi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University, 35100 Izmir, Türkiye;
| | - Aristide Maggiolino
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70010 Valenzano, Italy;
| | - Vincenzo Landi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70010 Valenzano, Italy;
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13
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Zhang H, Yang P, Liu C, Ma Y, Han Y, Zeng Y, Huang Y, Zhao Y, Zhao Z, He X, E G. Novel Heredity Basis of the Four-Horn Phenotype in Sheep Using Genome-Wide Sequence Data. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3166. [PMID: 37893889 PMCID: PMC10603714 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Horns are an important breeding trait for sheep. However, no widely recognized viewpoint on the regulatory genes and mechanisms of horns is available, and the genetic basis of the four-horn phenotype (FHP) is unclear. This work conducted a genome-wide association study with 100 sheep genomes from multiple breeds to investigate the genetic basis of the FHP. The results revealed three significant associations (corrected as p < 1.64 × 10-8) of the InDels (CHR2: g.133,742,709delA, g.133,743,215insC, and g.133,743,940delT) for FHP in the intergenic sequence (IGS) between the MTX2 and the LOC105609047 of CHR2. Moreover, 14 significant associations (corrected as p < 1.42 × 10-9) of SNPs with the FHP phenotype were identified in CHR2 and CHR16, including five (e.g., CHR16: g.40,351,378G > A and g.40,352,577G > A) located in the intron of the ADAMTS12 gene, eight (e.g., CHR2: g.133,727,513C > T and g.133,732,145T > G) in the IGS between MTX2 and LOC105609047, and only one (CHR2: g.133,930,761A > G) in the IGS between HOXD1 and MTX2. Obvious divergence was also observed in genotype patterns between the FHP and others (two horns and hornless) in the HOXD1 and ADAMTS12 gene regions. An extremely significant linkage also occurred between Loci I and Loci II within 100 individuals (LD = -156.02186, p < 0.00001). In summary, our study indicated that the genomic sequences from CHR2 and CHR16 contributed to the FHP in sheep, specifically the key candidate genes HOXD1 and ADAMTS12. These results improved our understanding of the Mendelian genetic basis of the FHP in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyuan Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Pu Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Chengli Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yuehui Ma
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Yanguo Han
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yan Zeng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yongfu Huang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yongju Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zhongquan Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiaohong He
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Guangxin E
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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14
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Liu TY, Feng H, Yousuf S, Xie LL, Miao XY. Functional analysis of differentially expressed circular RNAs in sheep subcutaneous fat. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:591. [PMID: 37798722 PMCID: PMC10557293 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09401-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Circular RNAs (circRNAs), as important non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), are involved in many biological activities. However, the exact chemical mechanism behind fat accumulation is unknown. In this paper, we obtained the expression profiles of circRNAs using high-throughput sequencing and investigated their differential expression in subcutaneous fat tissue of Duolang and Small Tail Han sheep. RESULTS From the transcriptomic analysis, 141 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified, comprising 61 up-regulated circRNAs and 80 down-regulated circRNAs. These host genes were primarily enriched in the MAPK and AMPK signaling pathways which is closely associated with fat deposition regulation. We identified circRNA812, circRNA91, and circRNA388 as vital genes in fat deposition by miRNA-circRNA target gene prediction. The functional annotation results of target genes of key circRNAs showed that the signaling pathways mainly included PI3K-Akt and AMPK. We constructed the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network to study the role of circRNAs in sheep lipid deposition, and circRNA812, circRNA91, and circRNA388 can adsorb more miRNAs. NC_040253.1_5757, as the source of miRNA response element (MRE) among the three, may play an important role during the process of sheep fat deposition. CONCLUSIONS Our study gives a systematic examination of the circRNA profiles expressed in sheep subcutaneous fat. These results from this study provide some new basis for understanding circRNA function and sheep fat metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Yi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Hui Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Salsabeel Yousuf
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ling-Li Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiang-Yang Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100193, China.
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15
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Shi H, Li T, Su M, Wang H, Li Q, Lang X, Ma Y. Identification of copy number variation in Tibetan sheep using whole genome resequencing reveals evidence of genomic selection. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:555. [PMID: 37726692 PMCID: PMC10510117 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09672-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Copy number variation (CNV) is an important source of structural variation in the mammalian genome. CNV assays present a new method to explore the genomic diversity of environmental adaptations in animals and plants and genes associated with complex traits. In this study, the genome-wide CNV distribution characteristics of 20 Tibetan sheep from two breeds (10 Oula sheep and 10 Panou sheep) were analysed using whole-genome resequencing to investigate the variation in the genomic structure of Tibetan sheep during breeding. RESULTS CNVs were detected using CNVnator, and the overlapping regions of CNVs between individual sheep were combined. Among them, a total of 60,429 CNV events were detected between the indigenous sheep breed (Oula) and the synthetic sheep breed (Panou). After merging the overlapping CNVs, 4927 CNV regions (CNVRs) were finally obtained. Of these, 4559 CNVRs were shared by two breeds, and there were 368 differential CNVRs. Deletion events have a higher percentage of occurrences than duplication events. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the shared CNVRs were significantly enriched in 163 GO terms and 62 KEGG pathways, which were mainly associated with organ development, neural regulation, immune regulation, digestion and metabolism. In addition, 140 QTLs overlapped with some of the CNVRs at more than 1 kb, such as average daily gain QTL, body weight QTL, and total lambs born QTL. Many of the CNV-overlapping genes such as PPP3CA, SSTR1 and FASN, overlap with the average daily weight gain and carcass weight QTL regions. Moreover, VST analysis showed that XIRP2, ABCB1, CA1, ASPA and EEF2 differed significantly between the synthetic breed and local sheep breed. The duplication of the ABCB1 gene may be closely related to adaptation to the plateau environment in Panou sheep, which deserves further study. Additionally, cluster analysis, based on all individuals, showed that the CNV clustering could be divided into two origins, indicating that some Tibetan sheep CNVs are likely to arise independently in different populations and contribute to population differences. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, we demonstrated the genome-wide distribution characteristics of CNVs in Panou sheep by whole genome resequencing. The results provides a valuable genetic variation resource and help to understand the genetic characteristics of Tibetan sheep. This study also provides useful information for the improvement and breeding of Tibetan sheep in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huibin Shi
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- College of Animal Science & Technology, Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Taotao Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Manchun Su
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Huihui Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Qiao Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Xia Lang
- Institute of Animal & Pasture Science and Green Agriculture, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Youji Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
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16
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Luo Y, Zhang M, Guo Z, Wijayanti D, Xu H, Jiang F, Lan X. Insertion/Deletion (InDel) Variants within the Sheep Fat-Deposition-Related PDGFD Gene Strongly Affect Morphological Traits. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13091485. [PMID: 37174523 PMCID: PMC10177341 DOI: 10.3390/ani13091485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Platelet-derived growth factor D (PDGFD) is a member of the PDGF gene family, and it plays an important role in the regulation of adipocyte development in mammals. Furthermore, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have previously identified it as a candidate gene associated with fleece fiber variation, body size, and the fat-tail phenotype in domestic Chinese sheep. In this study, a total of 1919 indigenous Chinese sheep were genotyped to examine the association between nucleotide sequence variations in PDGFD and body morphology. Our results detected both a 14 bp insertion in intron 2 and a 13 bp deletion in intron 4 of PDGFD. Moreover, these two InDel loci had low to moderate polymorphism. Notably, the 13 bp deletion mutation of PDGFD was found to significantly affect sheep body size. Yearling rams in the Luxi black-headed sheep (LXBH) containing a heterozygous genotype (insertion/deletion, ID) were found to have larger body length, chest depth, and body weight than those with wild genotypes. Furthermore, adult ewes in the Guiqian semi-fine wool sheep (GSFW) containing a homozygous mutation (deletion/deletion, DD) were found to have smaller chest width than their peers. Moreover, yearling ewes in this group with the same homozygous mutation were found to have lower body weight, chest width, and cannon circumference compared to those of other individuals. This study demonstrates that PDGFD InDel polymorphisms have the potential to be effective molecular markers to improve morphological traits in domestic Chinese sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Mengyang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Zhengang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
- Bijie Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Research Institute, Bijie 551700, China
| | - Dwi Wijayanti
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Hongwei Xu
- College of Life Science and Engineering, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Fugui Jiang
- Shandong Key Lab of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Xianyong Lan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
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17
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Liu Z, Fu S, He X, Liu X, Shi C, Dai L, Wang B, Chai Y, Liu Y, Zhang W. Estimates of Genomic Heritability and the Marker-Derived Gene for Re(Production) Traits in Xinggao Sheep. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030579. [PMID: 36980850 PMCID: PMC10048694 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Xinggao sheep are a breed of Chinese domestic sheep that are adapted to the extremely cold climatic features of the Hinggan League in China. The economically vital reproductive trait of ewes (litter size, LS) and productive traits of lambs (birth weight, BWT; weaning weight, WWT; and average daily gain, ADG) are expressed in females and later in life after most of the selection decisions have been made. This study estimated the genetic parameters for four traits to explore the genetic mechanisms underlying the variation, and we performed genome-wide association study (GWAS) tests on a small sample size to identify novel marker trait associations (MTAs) associated with prolificacy and growth. We detected two suggestive significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with LS and eight significant SNPs for BWT, WWT, and ADG. These candidate loci and genes also provide valuable information for further fine-mapping of QTLs and improvement of reproductive and productive traits in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaixia Liu
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Engineering Research Center of Genomic Big Data for Agriculture, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Shaoyin Fu
- Institute of Animal Husbandry, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot 010031, China
| | - Xiaolong He
- Institute of Animal Husbandry, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot 010031, China
| | - Xuewen Liu
- College of Agronomy, Animal Husbandry and Bioengineering, Xing’an Vocational and Technical College, Ulanhot 137400, China
| | - Caixia Shi
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Lingli Dai
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Engineering Research Center of Genomic Big Data for Agriculture, Hohhot 010018, China
- Veterinary Research Institute, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot 010031, China
| | - Biao Wang
- Institute of Animal Husbandry, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot 010031, China
| | - Yuan Chai
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Yongbin Liu
- School of Life Science, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (W.Z.)
| | - Wenguang Zhang
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Engineering Research Center of Genomic Big Data for Agriculture, Hohhot 010018, China
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (W.Z.)
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18
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Cheng H, Zhang Z, Wen J, Lenstra JA, Heller R, Cai Y, Guo Y, Li M, Li R, Li W, He S, Wang J, Shao J, Song Y, Zhang L, Billah M, Wang X, Liu M, Jiang Y. Long divergent haplotypes introgressed from wild sheep are associated with distinct morphological and adaptive characteristics in domestic sheep. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010615. [PMID: 36821549 PMCID: PMC9949681 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The worldwide sheep population comprises more than 1000 breeds. Together, these exhibit a considerable morphological diversity, which has not been extensively investigated at the molecular level. Here, we analyze whole-genome sequencing individuals of 1,098 domestic sheep from 154 breeds, and 69 wild sheep from seven Ovis species. On average, we detected 6.8%, 1.0% and 0.2% introgressed sequence in domestic sheep originating from Iranian mouflon, urial and argali, respectively, with rare introgressions from other wild species. Interestingly, several introgressed haplotypes contributed to the morphological differentiations across sheep breeds, such as a RXFP2 haplotype from Iranian mouflon conferring the spiral horn trait, a MSRB3 haplotype from argali strongly associated with ear morphology, and a VPS13B haplotype probably originating from urial and mouflon possibly associated with facial traits. Our results reveal that introgression events from wild Ovis species contributed to the high rate of morphological differentiation in sheep breeds, but also to individual variation within breeds. We propose that long divergent haplotypes are a ubiquitous source of phenotypic variation that allows adaptation to a variable environment, and that these remain intact in the receiving population probably due to reduced recombination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhuangbiao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Jiayue Wen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Johannes A. Lenstra
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rasmus Heller
- Section for Computational and RNA Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yudong Cai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Yingwei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Wenrong Li
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Genetics, Breeding & Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Institute of Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Sangang He
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Genetics, Breeding & Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Institute of Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Jintao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Junjie Shao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Yuxuan Song
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Masum Billah
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xihong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Mingjun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Genetics, Breeding & Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Institute of Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
- * E-mail: (ML); (YJ)
| | - Yu Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
- * E-mail: (ML); (YJ)
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19
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Whole-body adipose tissue multi-omic analyses in sheep reveal molecular mechanisms underlying local adaptation to extreme environments. Commun Biol 2023; 6:159. [PMID: 36755107 PMCID: PMC9908986 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04523-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The fat tail of sheep is an important organ that has evolved to adapt to extreme environments. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying the fat tail phenotype remain poorly understood. Here, we characterize transcriptome and lipidome profiles and morphological changes in 250 adipose tissues from two thin-tailed and three fat-tailed sheep populations in summer and winter. We implement whole-genome selective sweep tests to identify genetic variants related to fat-tails. We identify a set of functional genes that show differential expression in the tail fat of fat-tailed and thin-tailed sheep in summer and winter. These genes are significantly enriched in pathways, such as lipid metabolism, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, molecular transport, and inflammatory response. In contrast to thin-tailed sheep, tail fat from fat-tailed sheep show slighter changes in adipocyte size, ECM remodeling, and lipid metabolism, and had less inflammation in response to seasonal changes, indicating improved homeostasis. Whole-genome selective sweep tests identify genes involved in preadipocyte commitment (e.g., BMP2, PDGFD) and terminal adipogenic differentiation (e.g., VEGFA), which could contribute to enhanced adipocyte hyperplasia. Altogether, we establish a model of regulatory networks regulating adipose homeostasis in sheep tails. These findings improve our understanding of how adipose homeostasis is maintained, in response to extreme environments in animals.
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20
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Shi H, Li T, Su M, Wang H, Li Q, Lang X, Ma Y. Whole genome sequencing revealed genetic diversity, population structure, and selective signature of Panou Tibetan sheep. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:50. [PMID: 36707771 PMCID: PMC9883975 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09146-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The detection of selective traits in different populations can not only reveal current mechanisms of artificial selection for breeding, but also provide new insights into phenotypic variation in new varieties and the search for genes associated with important traits. Panou sheep is a cultivated breed of Tibetan sheep in China with stable genetic performance, consistent appearance and fast growth and development after decades of artificial selection and cultivation. Due to long-term adaptation to the high altitude, cold and hypoxic environment in the plateau area, they may have formed a unique gene pool that is different from other Tibetan sheep breeds. To explore the genetic resources of Panou sheep, we used next-generation sequencing technology for the first time to investigate the genome-wide population structure, genetic diversity, and candidate signatures of positive selection in Panou sheep. RESULTS Comparative genomic analysis with the closely related species Oula sheep (a native breed of Tibetan sheep in China) was used to screen the population selection signal of Panou sheep. Principal component analysis and neighbor joining tree showed that Panou sheep and Oula sheep had differences in population differentiation. Furthermore, analyses of population structure, they came from the same ancestor, and when K = 2, the two populations could be distinguished. Panou sheep exhibit genetic diversity comparable to Oula sheep, as shown by observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity and runs of homozygosity. Genome-wide scanning using the Fst and π ratio methods revealed a list of potentially selected related genes in Panou sheep compared to Oula sheep, including histone deacetylase 9 (HDAC9), protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PTK2), microphthalmia-related transcription factor (MITF), vesicular amine transporter 1 (VAT1), trichohyalin-like 1 (TCHHL1), amine oxidase, copper containing 3 (AOC3), interferon-inducible protein 35 (IFI35). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that traits related to growth and development and plateau adaptation may be selection targets for the domestication and breeding improvement of Tibetan sheep. This study provides the fundamental footprints for Panou sheep breeding and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huibin Shi
- grid.411734.40000 0004 1798 5176College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070 China ,Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070 China
| | - Taotao Li
- grid.411734.40000 0004 1798 5176College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070 China ,Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070 China
| | - Manchun Su
- grid.411734.40000 0004 1798 5176College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070 China ,Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070 China
| | - Huihui Wang
- grid.411734.40000 0004 1798 5176College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070 China ,Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070 China
| | - Qiao Li
- grid.411734.40000 0004 1798 5176College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070 China ,Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070 China
| | - Xia Lang
- grid.464277.40000 0004 0646 9133Institute of Animal & Pasture Science and Green Agriculture, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730070 China
| | - Youji Ma
- grid.411734.40000 0004 1798 5176College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070 China ,Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, 730070 China
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21
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Dzomba EF, Van Der Nest MA, Mthembu JNT, Soma P, Snyman MA, Chimonyo M, Muchadeyi FC. Selection signature analysis and genome-wide divergence of South African Merino breeds from their founders. Front Genet 2023; 13:932272. [PMID: 36685923 PMCID: PMC9847500 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.932272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Merino sheep are a breed of choice across the world, popularly kept for their wool and mutton value. They are often reared as a pure breed or used in crossbreeding and are a common component in synthetic breed development. This study evaluated genetic diversity, population structure, and breed divergence in 279 animals of Merino and Merino-based sheep breeds in South Africa using the Illumina Ovine SNP 50K BeadChip. The sheep breeds analysed included the three Merino-derived breeds of Dohne Merino (n = 50); Meatmaster (n = 47); and Afrino (n = 52) and five presumed ancestral populations of Merinos (Merino (n = 46); South African Merino (n = 10); and South African Mutton Merino (n = 8)); and the non-Merino founding breeds of Damara (n = 20); Ronderib Afrikaner (n = 17); and Nguni (n = 29). Highest genetic diversity values were observed in the Dohne Merino (DM), with H o = 0.39 ± 0.01, followed by the Meatmaster and South African Merino (SAM), with H o = 0.37 ± 0.03. The level of inbreeding ranged from 0.0 ± 0.02 (DM) to 0.27 ± 0.05 (Nguni). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed high within-population variance (>80%) across all population categories. The first principal component (PC1) separated the Merino, South African Mutton Merino (SAMM), DM, and Afrino (AFR) from the Meatmaster, Damara, Nguni, and Ronderib Afrikaner (RDA). PC2 aligned each Merino-derived breed with its presumed ancestors and separated the SAMM from the Merino and SAM. The iHS analysis yielded selection sweeps across the AFR (12 sweeps), Meatmaster (four sweeps), and DM (29 sweeps). Hair/wool trait genes such as FGF12; metabolic genes of ICA1, NXPH1, and GPR171; and immune response genes of IL22, IL26, IFNAR1, and IL10RB were reported. Other genes include HMGA, which was observed as selection signatures in other populations; WNT5A, important in the development of the skeleton and mammary glands; ANTXR2, associated with adaptation to variation in climatic conditions; and BMP2, which has been reported as strongly selected in both fat-tailed and thin-tailed sheep. The DM vs. SAMM shared all six sweep regions on chromosomes 1, 10, and 11 with AFR vs. SAMM. Genes such as FGF12 on OAR 1:191.3-194.7 Mb and MAP2K4 on OAR 11:28.6-31.3 Mb were observed. The selection sweep on chromosome 10 region 28.6-30.3 Mb harbouring the RXFP2 for polledness was shared between the DM vs. Merino, the Meatmaster vs. Merino, and the Meatmaster vs. Nguni. The DM vs. Merino and the Meatmaster vs. Merino also shared an Rsb-based selection sweep on chromosome 1 region 268.5-269.9 Mb associated with the Calpain gene, CAPN7. The study demonstrated some genetic similarities between the Merino and Merino-derived breeds emanating from common founding populations and some divergence driven by breed-specific selection goals. Overall, information regarding the evolution of these composite breeds from their founding population will guide future breed improvement programs and management and conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. F. Dzomba
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa,*Correspondence: E. F. Dzomba,
| | - M. A. Van Der Nest
- Agricultural Research Council Biotechnology Platform, Private Bag X5 Onderstepoort, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - J. N. T. Mthembu
- Discipline of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - P Soma
- Agricultural Research Council, Animal Production and Improvement, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - M. A. Snyman
- Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute, Middelburg, South Africa
| | - M. Chimonyo
- Discipline of Animal and Poultry Science, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - F. C. Muchadeyi
- Agricultural Research Council Biotechnology Platform, Private Bag X5 Onderstepoort, Pretoria, South Africa
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He X, Wu R, Yun Y, Qin X, Huang Y, Chen L, Han Y, Wu J, Sha L, Borjigin G. MicroRNA and circular RNA profiling in the deposited fat tissue of Sunite sheep. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:954882. [DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.954882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
As the most typical deposited fat, tail fat is an important energy reservoir for sheep adapted to harsh environments and plays an important role as a raw material in daily life. However, the regulatory mechanisms of microRNA (miRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA) in tail fat development remain unclear. In this study, we characterized the miRNA and circRNA expression profiles in the tail fat of sheep at the ages of 6, 18, and 30 months. We identified 219 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs (including 12 novel miRNAs), which exhibited a major tendency to be downregulated, and 198 DE circRNAs, which exhibited a tendency to be upregulated. Target gene prediction analysis was performed for the DE miRNAs. Functional analysis revealed that their target genes were mainly involved in cellular interactions, while the host genes of DE circRNAs were implicated in lipid and fatty acid metabolism. Subsequently, we established a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network based on the negative regulatory relationship between miRNAs and target genes. The network revealed that upregulated miRNAs play a leading role in the development of tail fat. Finally, the ceRNA relationship network with oar-miR-27a_R-1 and oar-miR-29a as the core was validated, suggesting possible involvement of these interactions in tail fat development. In summary, DE miRNAs were negatively correlated with DE circRNAs during sheep tail fat development. The multiple ceRNA regulatory network dominated by upregulated DE miRNAs may play a key role in this developmental process.
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23
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Zhang Z, Sui Z, Zhang J, Li Q, Zhang Y, Wang C, Li X, Xing F. Identification of Signatures of Selection for Litter Size and Pubertal Initiation in Two Sheep Populations. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12192520. [PMID: 36230262 PMCID: PMC9559472 DOI: 10.3390/ani12192520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Fecundity is an important economic trait in sheep that directly affects their economic and productive efficiency. Our study aimed to identify SNP loci associated with sheep puberty or litter size which could be used in future breeding programs to improve fertility. Genomic DNA was obtained from Hetian and Cele Black sheep breeds and used for reduced-representation genome sequencing to identify SNP loci associated with pubertal initiation and litter size. Selective signatures analysis was performed based on the fixation index and nucleotide diversity, followed by pathway analysis of the genes contained in the selected regions. The selected SNP loci in the genes associated with pubertal initiation and litter size were validated using both sheep breeds. In total, 384,718 high quality SNPs were obtained and 376 genes were selected. Functional annotation of genes and enrichment analysis identified 12 genes associated with pubertal initiation and 11 genes associated with litter size. SNP locus validation showed that two SNP on PAK1 and four on ADCY1 may be associated with pubertal initiation, and one SNP on GNAQ gene (NC_040253.1: g.62677376G > A) was associated with litter size in Cele Black sheep. Our results provide new theoretical support for sheep breeding.
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24
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Kalds P, Zhou S, Gao Y, Cai B, Huang S, Chen Y, Wang X. Genetics of the phenotypic evolution in sheep: a molecular look at diversity-driving genes. Genet Sel Evol 2022; 54:61. [PMID: 36085023 PMCID: PMC9463822 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-022-00753-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND After domestication, the evolution of phenotypically-varied sheep breeds has generated rich biodiversity. This wide phenotypic variation arises as a result of hidden genomic changes that range from a single nucleotide to several thousands of nucleotides. Thus, it is of interest and significance to reveal and understand the genomic changes underlying the phenotypic variation of sheep breeds in order to drive selection towards economically important traits. REVIEW Various traits contribute to the emergence of variation in sheep phenotypic characteristics, including coat color, horns, tail, wool, ears, udder, vertebrae, among others. The genes that determine most of these phenotypic traits have been investigated, which has generated knowledge regarding the genetic determinism of several agriculturally-relevant traits in sheep. In this review, we discuss the genomic knowledge that has emerged in the past few decades regarding the phenotypic traits in sheep, and our ultimate aim is to encourage its practical application in sheep breeding. In addition, in order to expand the current understanding of the sheep genome, we shed light on research gaps that require further investigation. CONCLUSIONS Although significant research efforts have been conducted in the past few decades, several aspects of the sheep genome remain unexplored. For the full utilization of the current knowledge of the sheep genome, a wide practical application is still required in order to boost sheep productive performance and contribute to the generation of improved sheep breeds. The accumulated knowledge on the sheep genome will help advance and strengthen sheep breeding programs to face future challenges in the sector, such as climate change, global human population growth, and the increasing demand for products of animal origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kalds
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 China
- Department of Animal and Poultry Production, Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish University, El-Arish, 45511 Egypt
| | - Shiwei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 China
| | - Yawei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 China
| | - Bei Cai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 China
| | - Shuhong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 China
| | - Yulin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 China
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangling, 712100 China
| | - Xiaolong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 China
- International Joint Agriculture Research Center for Animal Bio-Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Yangling, 712100 China
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Li M, Yin C, Zhao F, Liu Y. Copy number variation association studies for sheep tail‐relevant traits in Hulunbuir sheep. Anim Genet 2022; 53:897-900. [DOI: 10.1111/age.13265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mianyan Li
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Animal Science Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (Poultry) of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing China
| | - Chang Yin
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Animal Science Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing China
| | - Fuping Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (Poultry) of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Technology, National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Animal Science Nanjing Agricultural University Nanjing China
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26
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Wang H, Zhong L, Dong Y, Meng L, Ji C, Luo H, Fu M, Qi Z, Mi L. Whole-genome resequencing reveals domestication and signatures of selection in Ujimqin, Sunit, and Wu Ranke Mongolian sheep breeds. Anim Biosci 2022; 35:1303-1313. [PMID: 35507861 PMCID: PMC9449395 DOI: 10.5713/ab.21.0569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: The current study aimed to perform whole-genome resequencing of Chinese indigenous Mongolian sheep breeds including Ujimqin, Sunit, and Wu Ranke sheep breeds (UJMQ, SNT, WRK) and deeply analyze genetic variation, population structure, domestication, and selection for domestication traits among these Mongolian sheep breeds.Methods: Blood samples were collected from a total of 60 individuals comprising 20 WRK, 20 UJMQ, and 20 SNT. For genome sequencing, about 1.5 μg of genomic DNA was used for library construction with an insert size of about 350 bp. Pair-end sequencing were performed on Illumina NovaSeq platform, with the read length of 150 bp at each end. We then investigated the domestication and signatures of selection in these sheep breeds.Results: According to the population and demographic analyses, WRK and SNT populations were very similar, which were different from UJMQ populations. Genome wide association study identified 468 and 779 significant loci from SNT vs UJMQ, and UJMQ vs WRK, respectively. However, only 3 loci were identified from SNT vs WRK. Genomic comparison and selective sweep analysis among these sheep breeds suggested that genes associated with regulation of secretion, metabolic pathways including estrogen metabolism and amino acid metabolism, and neuron development have undergone strong selection during domestication.Conclusion: Our findings will facilitate the understanding of Chinese indigenous Mongolian sheep breeds domestication and selection for complex traits and provide a valuable genomic resource for future studies of sheep and other domestic animal breeding.
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Moradi MH, Mahmodi R, Farahani AHK, Karimi MO. Genome-wide evaluation of copy gain and loss variations in three Afghan sheep breeds. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14286. [PMID: 35996004 PMCID: PMC9395407 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18571-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Copy number variation (CNV) is one of the main sources of variation between different individuals that has recently attracted much researcher interest as a major source for heritable variation in complex traits. The aim of this study was to identify CNVs in Afghan indigenous sheep consisting of three Arab, Baluchi, and Gadik breeds using genomic arrays containing 53,862 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Data were analyzed using the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) of PennCNV software. In this study, out of 45 sheep studied, 97.8% (44 animals) have shown CNVs. In total, 411 CNVs were observed for autosomal chromosomes and the entire sequence length of around 144 Mb was identified across the genome. The average number of CNVs per each sheep was 9.13. The identified CNVs for Arab, Baluchi, and Gadik breeds were 306, 62, and 43, respectively. After merging overlapped regions, a total of 376 copy number variation regions (CNVR) were identified, which are 286, 50, and 40 for Arab, Baluchi, and Gadik breeds, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify the genes and QTLs reported in these regions and the biochemical pathways involved by these genes. The results showed that many of these CNVRs overlapped with the genes or QTLs that are associated with various pathways such as immune system development, growth, reproduction, and environmental adaptions. Furthermore, to determine a genome-wide pattern of selection signatures in Afghan sheep breeds, the unbiased estimates of FST was calculated and the results indicated that 37 of the 376 CNVRs (~ 10%) have been also under selection signature, most of those overlapped with the genes influencing production, reproduction and immune system. Finally, the statistical methods used in this study was applied in an external dataset including 96 individuals of the Iranian sheep breed. The results indicated that 20 of the 114 CNVRs (18%) identified in Iranian sheep breed were also identified in our study, most of those overlapped with the genes influencing production, reproduction and immune system. Overall, this is the first attempts to develop the genomic map of loss and gain variation in the genome of Afghan indigenous sheep breeds, and may be important to shed some light on the genomic regions associated with some economically important traits in these breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hossein Moradi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak University, Arak, 38156-8-8349, Iran.
| | - Roqiah Mahmodi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak University, Arak, 38156-8-8349, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Osman Karimi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Herat University, Herat, Afghanistan
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Ahbara AM, Musa HH, Robert C, Abebe A, Al-Jumaili AS, Kebede A, Latairish S, Agoub MO, Clark E, Hanotte O, Mwacharo JM. Natural adaptation and human selection of northeast African sheep genomes. Genomics 2022; 114:110448. [PMID: 35964803 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
African sheep manifest diverse but distinct physio-anatomical traits, which are the outcomes of natural- and human-driven selection. Here, we generated 34.8 million variants from 150 indigenous northeast African sheep genomes sequenced at an average depth of ∼54× for 130 samples (Ethiopia, Libya) and ∼20× for 20 samples (Sudan). These represented sheep from diverse environments, tail morphology and post-Neolithic introductions to Africa. Phylogenetic and model-based admixture analysis provided evidence of four genetic groups corresponding to altitudinal geographic origins, tail morphotypes and possible historical introduction and dispersal of the species into and across the continent. Running admixture at higher levels of K (6 ≤ K ≤ 25), revealed cryptic levels of genome intermixing as well as distinct genetic backgrounds in some populations. Comparative genomic analysis identified targets of selection that spanned conserved haplotype structures overlapping clusters of genes and gene families. These were related to hypoxia responses, ear morphology, caudal vertebrae and tail skeleton length, and tail fat-depot structures. Our findings provide novel insights underpinning morphological variation and response to human-driven selection and environmental adaptation in African indigenous sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abulgasim M Ahbara
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Misurata University, Misurata, Libya; School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK; Small Ruminant Genomics, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; LiveGene, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, The Roslin Institute Building, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Hassan H Musa
- Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Christelle Robert
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ayele Abebe
- Debre Berhan Research Centre, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia
| | - Ahmed S Al-Jumaili
- Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques, Al-Maarif University College, Ramadi, Anbar, Iraq
| | - Adebabay Kebede
- LiveGene-CTLGH, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Suliman Latairish
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Misurata University, Misurata, Libya
| | | | - Emily Clark
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Olivier Hanotte
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK; LiveGene-CTLGH, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Joram M Mwacharo
- Small Ruminant Genomics, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Animal and Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, The Roslin Institute Building, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH), The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK.
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Differential regulation of mRNAs and lncRNAs related to lipid metabolism in Duolang and Small Tail Han sheep. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11157. [PMID: 35778462 PMCID: PMC9249921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15318-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) can be achieved through the regulation of target genes, and the deposition of fat is regulated by lncRNA. Fat has an important effect on meat quality. However, there are relatively few studies on lncRNAs in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of Duolang sheep and Small Tail Han sheep. In this study, RNA-Seq technology and bioinformatics methods were used to identify and analyze the lncRNA and mRNA in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of the two breeds of sheep. The results showed that 107 lnRNAs and 1329 mRNAs were differentially expressed. The differentially expressed genes and lncRNA target genes were significantly enriched in the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids signaling pathway, fatty acid metabolism, adipocyte differentiation and other processes related to fat deposition. Among them, LOC105616076, LOC114118103, LOC105607837, LOC101116622, and LOC105603235 target FADS1, SCD, ELOVL6, HSD17B12 and HACD2, respectively. They play a key regulatory role in the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. This study lays a foundation for the study of the molecular mechanism of lncRNA on fat development, and has reference value for studying the differences in fat deposition between Duolang sheep and Small Tail Han sheep.
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Zhang D, Zhang X, Li F, Zhao Y, Li X, Wang J, Zhao L, Yang X, Zhang Y, Xu D, Cheng J, Li W, Lin C, Zhou B, Wang W. Expression Profiles of the Ovine IL18 Gene and Association of Its Polymorphism With Hematologic Parameters in Hu Lambs. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:925928. [PMID: 35847634 PMCID: PMC9280051 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.925928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hematological traits are important indexes to evaluate health status and immunological conditions in human and livestock. In this study, we measured the hematologic indexes of 819 male Hu lambs and performed the descriptive statistical analysis. The results showed the coefficients of variation of partial indexes were >10%, and the heritability for mean erythrocyte volume (MCV), white blood cell count (WBC), hemoglobin concentration (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), and red blood cell (RBC) distribution-standard deviation (RDW_SD) were medium to high, ranging from 0.17 to 0.43. In addition, Interleukin 18 (IL18), as an important regulator of both innate and acquired immune responses, was selected as candidate gene and subjected to the expression profile analysis, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scanning and association analysis by using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), PCR amplification, Sanger sequencing, and KASP genotyping. The results of qRT-PCR indicated that IL18 is predominantly expressed in lymph and lung compared with that in the other tested tissues. In addition, three novel polymorphisms (g. 24991544 A > G, g. 24991651 A > G, and g. 24991749 C > T) were identified in IL18, and the three SNPs were in a strong linkage state. Therefore, only a SNP was genotyped and performed association analysis in the enlarged experimental population, the result of association analysis demonstrated that the polymorphism g. 24991651 A > G was significantly associated with RBC, MCV, MCHC, and RDW_CV. These results will provide the reference values and the novel genetic markers of hematological parameters in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deyin Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxue Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Fadi Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuan Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaolong Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianghui Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Liming Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaobin Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yukun Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dan Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jiangbo Cheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wenxin Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Changchun Lin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Bubo Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Weimin Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Weimin Wang ; orcid.org/0000-0002-6660-4865
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Hitchhiking Mapping of Candidate Regions Associated with Fat Deposition in Iranian Thin and Fat Tail Sheep Breeds Suggests New Insights into Molecular Aspects of Fat Tail Selection. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12111423. [PMID: 35681887 PMCID: PMC9179914 DOI: 10.3390/ani12111423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Fatness-related traits are economically very important in sheep production and are associated with serious diseases in humans. Using a denser set of SNP markers and a variety of statistical approaches, our results were able to refine the regions associated with fat deposition and to suggest new insights into molecular aspects of fat tail selection. These results may provide a strong foundation for studying the regulation of fat deposition in sheep and do offer hope that the causal mutations and the mode of inheritance of this trait will soon be discovered by further investigation. Abstract The fat tail is a phenotype that divides indigenous Iranian sheep genetic resources into two major groups. The objective of the present study is to refine the map location of candidate regions associated with fat deposition, obtained via two separate whole genome scans contrasting thin and fat tail breeds, and to determine the nature of the selection occurring in these regions using a hitchhiking approach. Zel (thin tail) and Lori-Bakhtiari (fat tail) breed samples that had previously been run on the Illumina Ovine 50 k BeadChip, were genotyped with a denser set of SNPs in the three candidate regions using a Sequenom Mass ARRAY platform. Statistical tests were then performed using different and complementary methods based on either site frequency (FST and Median homozygosity) or haplotype (iHS and XP-EHH). The results from candidate regions on chromosome 5 and X revealed clear evidence of selection with the derived haplotypes that was consistent with selection to near fixation for the haplotypes affecting fat tail size in the fat tail breed. An analysis of the candidate region on chromosome 7 indicated that selection differentiated the beneficial alleles between breeds and homozygosity has increased in the thin tail breed which also had the ancestral haplotype. These results enabled us to confirm the signature of selection in these regions and refine the critical intervals from 113 kb, 201 kb, and 2831 kb to 28 kb, 142 kb, and 1006 kb on chromosome 5, 7, and X respectively. These regions contain several genes associated with fat metabolism or developmental processes consisting of TCF7 and PPP2CA (OAR5), PTGDR and NID2 (OAR7), AR, EBP, CACNA1F, HSD17B10,SLC35A2, BMP15, WDR13, and RBM3 (OAR X), and each of which could potentially be the actual target of selection. The study of core haplotypes alleles in our regions of interest also supported the hypothesis that the first domesticated sheep were thin tailed, and that fat tail animals were developed later. Overall, our results provide a comprehensive assessment of how and where selection has affected the patterns of variation in candidate regions associated with fat deposition in thin and fat tail sheep breeds.
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Transcriptome reveals key microRNAs involved in fat deposition between different tail sheep breeds. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0264804. [PMID: 35231067 PMCID: PMC8887763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNA (miRNA) is a kind of noncoding RNA whose function involved in various biological processes in neuronal maturation and adipocyte cells, such as differentiation, proliferation, development, apoptosis, and metabolism. Herein, miRNA-Seq was used to identify miRNAs in the tail fat tissue of Hu sheep (short-fat-tailed) and Tibetan sheep (short-thin-tailed). In this study, 155 differentially expression miRNAs (DE miRNAs) were identified, including 78 up-regulated and 77 down-regulated. Among these DE miRNAs, 17 miRNAs were reported and related with lipid metabolism. MiRanda and RNAhybrid software were used to predict the target genes of DE miRNAs, obtaining the number of targeting relationships is 38553. Target genes were enriched by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). 742 terms and 302 single pathways are enriched, including lipid metabolic process, response to lipid, cellular lipid catabolic process, lipid catabolic process, cellular lipid metabolic process, inositol lipid-mediated signaling, calcium channel activity, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction, AMPK signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway and TGF-beta signaling pathway. Notably, miR-379-5p was associated with tail fat deposition of sheep. Dual-Luciferase reporter assays showed miR-379-5p and HOXC9 had targeted relationship. The result of RT-qPCR showed that the expression trend of miR-379-5p and HOXC9 was opposite. miR-379-5p was down-regulated and highly expressed in tail adipose tissue of Tibetan sheep. HOXC9 was highly expressed in adipose tissue of Hu sheep. These results could provide a meaningful theoretical basis for studying the molecular mechanisms of sheep tail adipogenesis.
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Genetic Differentiation among Livestock Breeds—Values for Fst. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091115. [PMID: 35565543 PMCID: PMC9103131 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The degree of relationship among livestock breeds can be quantified by the Fst statistic, which measures the extent of genetic differentiation between them. An Fst value of 0.1 has often been taken as indicating that two breeds are indeed genetically distinct, but this concept has not been evaluated critically. Here, Fst values have been collated for the six major livestock species: cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, and chickens. These values are remarkably variable both within and between species, demonstrating that Fst > 0.1 is not a reliable criterion for breed distinctiveness. However, the large body of Fst data accumulated in the last 20–30 years represents an untapped database that could contribute to the development of interdisciplinary research involving livestock breeds. Abstract (1) Background: The Fst statistic is widely used to characterize between-breed relationships. Fst = 0.1 has frequently been taken as indicating genetic distinctiveness between breeds. This study investigates whether this is justified. (2) Methods: A database was created of 35,080 breed pairs and their corresponding Fst values, deduced from microsatellite and SNP studies covering cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, and chickens. Overall, 6560 (19%) of breed pairs were between breeds located in the same country, 7395 (21%) between breeds of different countries within the same region, 20,563 (59%) between breeds located far apart, and 562 (1%) between a breed and the supposed wild ancestor of the species. (3) Results: General values for between-breed Fst were as follows, cattle: microsatellite 0.06–0.12, SNP 0.08–0.15; sheep: microsatellite 0.06–0.10, SNP 0.06–0.17; horses: microsatellite 0.04–0.11, SNP 0.08–0.12; goats: microsatellite 0.04–0.14, SNP 0.08–0.16; pigs: microsatellite 0.06–0.27, SNP 0.15–0.22; chickens: microsatellite 0.05–0.28, SNP 0.08–0.26. (4) Conclusions: (1) Large amounts of Fst data are available for a substantial proportion of the world’s livestock breeds, (2) the value for between-breed Fst of 0.1 is not appropriate owing to its considerable variability, and (3) accumulated Fst data may have value for interdisciplinary research.
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34
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Lakhanova K, Kedelbaev B, Yeleugaliyeva N, Korazbekova K. Study of melanin distribution in the hair cells of Karakul lambs of different colours. Small Rumin Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2022.106693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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35
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Han J, Ma S, Liang B, Bai T, Zhao Y, Ma Y, MacHugh DE, Ma L, Jiang L. Transcriptome Profiling of Developing Ovine Fat Tail Tissue Reveals an Important Role for MTFP1 in Regulation of Adipogenesis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:839731. [PMID: 35350385 PMCID: PMC8957931 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.839731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Fat-tail sheep exhibit a unique trait whereby substantial adipose tissue accumulates in the tail, a phenotype that is advantageous in many agroecological environments. In this study, we conducted histological assays, transcriptome analysis and functional assays to examine morphogenesis, characterize gene expression, and elucidate mechanisms that regulate fat tail development. We obtained the microstructure of tail before and after fat deposition, and demonstrated that measurable fat deposition occurred by the 80-day embryo (E80) stage, earlier than other tissues. Transcriptome profiling revealed 1,058 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with six markedly different expression trends. GSEA enrichment and other downstream analyses showed important roles for genes and pathways involving in metabolism and that mitochondrial components were specifically overexpressed in the fat tail tissue of the 70-day embryo (E70). One hundred and eighty-three genes were further identified by leading edge gene analysis, among which, 17 genes have been reported in previous studies, including EEF1D, MTFP1, PPP1CA, PDGFD. Notably, the MTFP1 gene was highly correlated with the expression of other genes and with the highest enrichment score and gene expression change. Knockdown of MTFP1 in isolated adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) inhibited cell proliferation and migration ability, besides, promoted the process of adipogenesis in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangang Han
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China.,Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sijia Ma
- Agricultural College, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Benmeng Liang
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China.,National Germplasm Center of Domestic Animal Resources, Ministry of Technology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Tianyou Bai
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China.,National Germplasm Center of Domestic Animal Resources, Ministry of Technology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Yuhetian Zhao
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China.,National Germplasm Center of Domestic Animal Resources, Ministry of Technology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - Yuehui Ma
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China.,National Germplasm Center of Domestic Animal Resources, Ministry of Technology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
| | - David E MacHugh
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Lina Ma
- Institute of Animal Science, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China.,National Germplasm Center of Domestic Animal Resources, Ministry of Technology, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, China
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Association Between Natriuretic Peptide Receptor 2 (NPR2) RS208158047 Polymorphism and Fattening Performance of Young Bulls. ANNALS OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.2478/aoas-2021-0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine fattening performance data for Charolais, Limousin and Blonde d’Aquitaine beef cattle and associate these data with NPR2 gene 8:g.59961937 T>C (rs208158047) mutation. Experiments were conducted with 176 beef cattle (77 Charolais, 66 Limousin and 33 Blonde d’Aquitaine) at nine months of age. Experiments lasted for 9 months and animals were slaughtered at the age of 18 months. Cattle body weights were determined at four different periods: beginning of fattening (d0), 60th day of fattening (d60), 120th day of fattening (d120) and at the end of fattening (sw). In terms of rs208158047 mutation of Charolais, Limousin and Blonde d’Aquitaine breeds, TT and CT genotypes were identified, and CC genotype was not encountered. The association of average daily gain (ADG) in d0-d60, d0-d120 and d0-sw periods with the genotypes of rs208158047 mutation was found to be significant (P<0.05). Greater ADGs were observed in rs208158047-CT genotypes compared to rs208158047-TT genotypes. These results indicate that the selection of bovine NPR2 gene could be used to ensure the breeding direction for growth related traits of the beef cattle.
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Zhong Y, Han P, Sun S, An N, Ren X, Lu S, Wang Q, Dong J. Effects of apple polyphenols and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes on the oxidation of myofibrillar proteins and microstructures in lamb during frozen storage. Food Chem 2021; 375:131874. [PMID: 34942499 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of inclusion complexes (ICs) on the oxidative stability of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) and microstructures in lamb during frozen storage. The inclusion process between apple polyphenols (APs) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) was verified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and the antioxidant activity of APs. Results showed that the sensitivity of MPs to oxidation improved after 40 weeks. The ICs (0.2-1.6 mg/mL) significantly reduced the carbonyl content, particle size aggregation, protein degradation, fluorescence quenching effect, and decreased the α-helix contents loss of MPs. Additionally, the changes in protein oxidation showed a correlation with the microstructure of muscles, and the addition of 1.6 mg/mL IC remarkably improved the structure of muscle tissues while that of 3.2 mg/mL IC was detrimental to the structural properties. Overall, the exertion of antioxidant activity significantly influenced the cryoprotective effect of ICs on frozen lamb meat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Zhong
- Collage of Food Quality and Safety, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Ping Han
- Collage of Food Quality and Safety, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Suling Sun
- Institute of Quality and Standard for Agriculture Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou 310021, PR China
| | - Ning An
- Collage of Food Quality and Safety, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Xudong Ren
- Collage of Food Quality and Safety, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Shiling Lu
- Collage of Food Quality and Safety, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Qingling Wang
- Collage of Food Quality and Safety, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Juan Dong
- Collage of Food Quality and Safety, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China.
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Xu SS, Gao L, Shen M, Lyu F. Whole-Genome Selective Scans Detect Genes Associated With Important Phenotypic Traits in Sheep (Ovis aries ). Front Genet 2021; 12:738879. [PMID: 34868210 PMCID: PMC8637624 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.738879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sheep (Ovis aries) is one of the important livestock with diverse phenotypic traits. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of diverse phenotypic traits in domestic sheep. Using the genome-wide high-density SNP data (600K) in 253 samples from 13 populations, we conducted the tests of selective sweeps (i.e., pairwise FST and XP-CLR) associated with several important phenotypic traits (e.g., tail types, horn morphology, prolificacy, coat pigmentation, ear size, milk production, meat production, body size and wool fineness). We identified strong selective signatures in previously reported (e.g., T, RXFP2, BMPR1B, TYRP1, MSRB3, TF, CEBPA, GPR21 and HOXC8) and novel genes associated with the traits, such as CERS6, BTG1, RYR3, SLC6A4, NNAT and OGT for fat deposition in the tails, FOXO4 for fertility, PTCH1 and EMX2 for ear size, and RMI1 and SCD5 for body size. Further gene annotation analysis showed that these genes were identified to be the most probable genes accounting for the diverse phenotypic traits. Our results provide novel insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying the traits and also new genetic markers for genetic improvement in sheep and other livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Song Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shenzhen Branch, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Breeding, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi, China
| | - Min Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Breeding, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Sciences, Shihezi, China
| | - Fenghua Lyu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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39
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Zhu C, Cheng H, Li N, Liu T, Ma Y. Isobaric Tags for Relative and Absolute Quantification-Based Proteomics Reveals Candidate Proteins of Fat Deposition in Chinese Indigenous Sheep With Morphologically Different Tails. Front Genet 2021; 12:710449. [PMID: 34868196 PMCID: PMC8634704 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.710449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Chinese indigenous sheep can be classified into two types according to their tail morphology: fat-rumped and thin-tailed sheep, of which the typical breeds are Altay sheep and Tibetan sheep, respectively. Methods: To identify the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) underlying the phenotypic differences between tail types, we used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) combined with multi-dimensional liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technology to detect candidate proteins. We then subjected these to a database search and identified the DEPs. Finally, bioinformatics technology was used to carry out Gene Ontology (GO) functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Results: A total of 3,248 proteins were identified, of which 44 were up-regulated and 40 were down-regulated DEPs. Analyzing their GO function terms and KEGG pathways revealed that the functions of these DEPs are mainly binding, catalytic activity, structural molecule activity, molecular function regulator, and transporter activity. Among the genes encoding the DEPs, APOA2, GALK1, ADIPOQ, and NDUFS4 are associated with fat formation and metabolism. Conclusion: The APOA2, GALK1, ADIPOQ, and NDUFS4 genes may be involved in the deposition of fat in the tail of sheep. This study provides a scientific basis for the breeding of thin-tailed sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiye Zhu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Heping Cheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Na Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Tiaoguo Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Youji Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China
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Yuan Z, Ge L, Sun J, Zhang W, Wang S, Cao X, Sun W. Integrative analysis of Iso-Seq and RNA-seq data reveals transcriptome complexity and differentially expressed transcripts in sheep tail fat. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12454. [PMID: 34760406 PMCID: PMC8571958 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nowadays, both customers and producers prefer thin-tailed fat sheep. To effectively breed for this phenotype, it is important to identify candidate genes and uncover the genetic mechanism related to tail fat deposition in sheep. Accumulating evidence suggesting that post-transcriptional modification events of precursor-messenger RNA (pre-mRNA), including alternative splicing (AS) and alternative polyadenylation (APA), may regulate tail fat deposition in sheep. Differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) analysis is a way to identify candidate genes related to tail fat deposition. However, due to the technological limitation, post-transcriptional modification events in the tail fat of sheep and DETs between thin-tailed and fat-tailed sheep remains unclear. Methods In the present study, we applied pooled PacBio isoform sequencing (Iso-Seq) to generate transcriptomic data of tail fat tissue from six sheep (three thin-tailed sheep and three fat-tailed sheep). By comparing with reference genome, potential gene loci and novel transcripts were identified. Post-transcriptional modification events, including AS and APA, and lncRNA in sheep tail fat were uncovered using pooled Iso-Seq data. Combining Iso-Seq data with six RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) data, DETs between thin- and fat-tailed sheep were identified. Protein protein interaction (PPI) network, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were implemented to investigate the potential functions of DETs. Results In the present study, we revealed the transcriptomic complexity of the tail fat of sheep, result in 9,001 potential novel gene loci, 17,834 AS events, 5,791 APA events, and 3,764 lncRNAs. Combining Iso-Seq data with RNA-Seq data, we identified hundreds of DETs between thin- and fat-tailed sheep. Among them, 21 differentially expressed lncRNAs, such as ENSOART00020036299, ENSOART00020033641, ENSOART00020024562, ENSOART00020003848 and 9.53.1 may regulate tail fat deposition. Many novel transcripts were identified as DETs, including 15.527.13 (DGAT2), 13.624.23 (ACSS2), 11.689.28 (ACLY), 11.689.18 (ACLY), 11.689.14 (ACLY), 11.660.12 (ACLY), 22.289.6 (SCD), 22.289.3 (SCD) and 22.289.14 (SCD). Most of the identified DETs have been enriched in GO and KEGG pathways related to extracellular matrix (ECM). Our result revealed the transcriptome complexity and identified many candidate transcripts in tail fat, which could enhance the understanding of molecular mechanisms behind tail fat deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehu Yuan
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ling Ge
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jingyi Sun
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Weibo Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Shanhe Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xiukai Cao
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.,College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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Serranito B, Cavalazzi M, Vidal P, Taurisson-Mouret D, Ciani E, Bal M, Rouvellac E, Servin B, Moreno-Romieux C, Tosser-Klopp G, Hall SJG, Lenstra JA, Pompanon F, Benjelloun B, Da Silva A. Local adaptations of Mediterranean sheep and goats through an integrative approach. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21363. [PMID: 34725398 PMCID: PMC8560853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00682-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Small ruminants are suited to a wide variety of habitats and thus represent promising study models for identifying genes underlying adaptations. Here, we considered local Mediterranean breeds of goats (n = 17) and sheep (n = 25) from Italy, France and Spain. Based on historical archives, we selected the breeds potentially most linked to a territory and defined their original cradle (i.e., the geographical area in which the breed has emerged), including transhumant pastoral areas. We then used the programs PCAdapt and LFMM to identify signatures of artificial and environmental selection. Considering cradles instead of current GPS coordinates resulted in a greater number of signatures identified by the LFMM analysis. The results, combined with a systematic literature review, revealed a set of genes with potentially key adaptive roles in relation to the gradient of aridity and altitude. Some of these genes have been previously implicated in lipid metabolism (SUCLG2, BMP2), hypoxia stress/lung function (BMPR2), seasonal patterns (SOX2, DPH6) or neuronal function (TRPC4, TRPC6). Selection signatures involving the PCDH9 and KLH1 genes, as well as NBEA/NBEAL1, were identified in both species and thus could play an important adaptive role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Serranito
- INRA, EA7500, USC1061 GAMAA, Univ. Limoges, 87000, Limoges, France
- CRESCO, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), 35800, Dinard, France
| | | | - Pablo Vidal
- Universidad Catolica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Dominique Taurisson-Mouret
- GEOLAB, UMR 6042, Univ. Limoges, Limoges, France
- CNRS, UMR 5815, Dynamiques du droit, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Elena Ciani
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Marie Bal
- GEOLAB, UMR 6042, Univ. Limoges, Limoges, France
| | | | - Bertrand Servin
- GenPhySE, INRAE, ENVT, Université de Toulouse, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | | | | | - Stephen J G Hall
- Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Johannes A Lenstra
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 104, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - François Pompanon
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Badr Benjelloun
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, F-38000, Grenoble, France
- National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), Regional Centre of Agronomic Research, Beni-Mellal, Morocco
| | - Anne Da Silva
- INRA, EA7500, USC1061 GAMAA, Univ. Limoges, 87000, Limoges, France.
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Genetic diversity and population structure of sheep (Ovis aries) in Sichuan, China. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257974. [PMID: 34582500 PMCID: PMC8478206 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sichuan, China, has abundant genetic resources of sheep (Ovis aries). However, their genetic diversity and population structure have been less studied, especially at the genome-wide level. In the present study, we employed the specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing for identifying genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among five breeds of sheep distributed in Sichuan, including three local pure breeds, one composite breed, and one exotic breed of White Suffolk. From 494 million clean paired-end reads, we obtained a total of 327,845 high-quality SNPs that were evenly distributed among all 27 chromosomes, with a transition/transversion ratio of 2.56. Based on this SNP panel, we found that the overall nucleotide diversity was 0.2284 for all five breeds, with the highest and lowest diversity observed in Mage sheep (0.2125) and Butuo Black (0.1963) sheep, respectively. Both Wright’s fixation index and Identity-by-State distance revealed that all individuals of Liangshan Semifine-wool, White Suffolk, and Butuo Black sheep were respectively clustered together, and the breeds could be separated from each other, whereas Jialuo and Mage sheep had the closest genetic relationship and could not be distinguished from each other. In conclusion, we provide a reference panel of genome-wide and high-quality SNPs in five sheep breeds in Sichuan, by which their genetic diversity and population structures were investigated.
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43
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Kalds P, Luo Q, Sun K, Zhou S, Chen Y, Wang X. Trends towards revealing the genetic architecture of sheep tail patterning: Promising genes and investigatory pathways. Anim Genet 2021; 52:799-812. [PMID: 34472112 DOI: 10.1111/age.13133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Different sheep breeds have evolved after initial domestication, generating various tail phenotypic patterns. The phenotypic diversity of sheep tail patterns offers ideal materials for comparative analysis of its genetic basis. Evolutionary biologists, animal geneticists, breeders, and producers have been curious to clearly understand the underlying genetics behind phenotypic differences in sheep tails. Understanding the causal gene(s) and mutation(s) underlying these differences will help probe an evolutionary riddle, improve animal production performance, promote animal welfare, and provide lessons that help comprehend human diseases related to fat deposition (i.e., obesity). Historically, fat tails have served as an adaptive response to aridification and climate change. However, the fat tail is currently associated with compromised mating and animal locomotion, fat distribution in the animal body, increased raising costs, reduced consumer preference, and other animal welfare issues such as tail docking. The developing genomic approaches provide unprecedented opportunities to determine causal variants underlying phenotypic differences among populations. In the last decade, researchers have performed several genomic investigations to assess the genomic causality underlying phenotypic variations in sheep tails. Various genes have been suggested with the prominence of several potentially significant causatives, including the BMP2 and PDGFD genes associated with the fat tail phenotype and the TBXT gene linked with the caudal vertebrae number and tail length. Although the potential genes related to sheep tail characteristics have been revealed, the causal variant(s) and mutation(s) of these high-ranking candidate genes are still elusive and need further investigation. The review discusses the potential genes, sheds light on a knowledge gap, and provides possible investigative approaches that could help determine the specific genomic causatives of sheep tail patterns. Besides, characterizing and revealing the genetic determinism of sheep tails will help solve issues compromising sheep breeding and welfare in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Kalds
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China.,Department of Animal and Poultry Production, Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish University, El-Arish, Egypt
| | - Q Luo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - K Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - S Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Y Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - X Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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Liu J, Shi L, Li Y, Chen L, Garrick D, Wang L, Zhao F. Estimates of genomic inbreeding and identification of candidate regions that differ between Chinese indigenous sheep breeds. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2021; 12:95. [PMID: 34348773 PMCID: PMC8340518 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-021-00608-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A run of homozygosity (ROH) is a consecutive tract of homozygous genotypes in an individual that indicates it has inherited the same ancestral haplotype from both parents. Genomic inbreeding can be quantified based on ROH. Genomic regions enriched with ROH may be indicative of selection sweeps and are known as ROH islands. We carried out ROH analyses in five Chinese indigenous sheep breeds; Altay sheep (n = 50 individuals), Large-tailed Han sheep (n = 50), Hulun Buir sheep (n = 150), Short-tailed grassland sheep (n = 150), and Tibetan sheep (n = 50), using genotypes from an Ovine Infinium HD SNP BeadChip. Results A total of 18,288 ROH were identified. The average number of ROH per individual across the five sheep breeds ranged from 39 (Hulun Buir sheep) to 78 (Large-tailed Han sheep) and the average length of ROH ranged from 0.929 Mb (Hulun Buir sheep) to 2.544 Mb (Large-tailed Han sheep). The effective population size (Ne) of Altay sheep, Large-tailed Han sheep, Hulun Buir sheep, Short-tailed grassland sheep and Tibetan sheep were estimated to be 81, 78, 253, 238 and 70 five generations ago. The highest ROH-based inbreeding estimate (FROH) was 0.0808 in Large-tailed Han sheep, whereas the lowest FROH was 0.0148 in Hulun Buir sheep. Furthermore, the highest proportion of long ROH fragments (> 5 Mb) was observed in the Large-tailed Han sheep breed which indicated recent inbreeding. In total, 49 ROH islands (the top 0.1% of the SNPs most commonly observed in ROH) were identified in the five sheep breeds. Three ROH islands were common to all the five sheep breeds, and were located on OAR2: 12.2–12.3 Mb, OAR12: 78.4–79.1 Mb and OAR13: 53.0–53.6 Mb. Three breed-specific ROH islands were observed in Altay sheep (OAR15: 3.4–3.8 Mb), Large-tailed Han sheep (ORA17: 53.5–53.8 Mb) and Tibetan sheep (ORA5:19.8–20.2 Mb). Collectively, the ROH islands harbored 78 unique genes, including 19 genes that have been documented as having associations with tail types, adaptation, growth, body size, reproduction or immune response. Conclusion Different ROH patterns were observed in five Chinese indigenous sheep breeds, which reflected their different population histories. Large-tailed Han sheep had the highest genomic inbreeding coefficients and the highest proportion of long ROH fragments indicating recent inbreeding. Candidate genes in ROH islands could be used to illustrate the genetic characteristics of these five sheep breeds. Our findings contribute to the understanding of genetic diversity and population demography, and help design and implement breeding and conservation strategies for Chinese sheep. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40104-021-00608-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (Poultry) of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Liangyu Shi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (Poultry) of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (Poultry) of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Liang Chen
- The Affiliated High School of Peking University, Beijing, 100192, China
| | - Dorian Garrick
- A.L. Rae Centre of Genetics and Breeding, Massey University, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand
| | - Lixian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (Poultry) of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
| | - Fuping Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction (Poultry) of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Wang L, Sun F, Wan ZY, Ye B, Wen Y, Liu H, Yang Z, Pang H, Meng Z, Fan B, Alfiko Y, Shen Y, Bai B, Lee MSQ, Piferrer F, Schartl M, Meyer A, Yue GH. Genomic Basis of Striking Fin Shapes and Colors in the Fighting Fish. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:3383-3396. [PMID: 33871625 PMCID: PMC8321530 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Resolving the genomic basis underlying phenotypic variations is a question of great importance in evolutionary biology. However, understanding how genotypes determine the phenotypes is still challenging. Centuries of artificial selective breeding for beauty and aggression resulted in a plethora of colors, long-fin varieties, and hyper-aggressive behavior in the air-breathing Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens), supplying an excellent system for studying the genomic basis of phenotypic variations. Combining whole-genome sequencing, quantitative trait loci mapping, genome-wide association studies, and genome editing, we investigated the genomic basis of huge morphological variation in fins and striking differences in coloration in the fighting fish. Results revealed that the double tail, elephant ear, albino, and fin spot mutants each were determined by single major-effect loci. The elephant ear phenotype was likely related to differential expression of a potassium ion channel gene, kcnh8. The albinotic phenotype was likely linked to a cis-regulatory element acting on the mitfa gene and the double-tail mutant was suggested to be caused by a deletion in a zic1/zic4 coenhancer. Our data highlight that major loci and cis-regulatory elements play important roles in bringing about phenotypic innovations and establish Bettas as new powerful model to study the genomic basis of evolved changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Wang
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fei Sun
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zi Yi Wan
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Baoqing Ye
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yanfei Wen
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Huiming Liu
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zituo Yang
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hongyan Pang
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zining Meng
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bin Fan
- Department of Food and Environmental Engineering, Yangjiang Polytechnic, Yangjiang, China
| | - Yuzer Alfiko
- Biotech Lab, Wilmar International, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Yubang Shen
- Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Bai
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - May Shu Qing Lee
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Francesc Piferrer
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Developmental Biochemistry, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- The Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA
| | - Axel Meyer
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Gen Hua Yue
- Molecular Population Genetics & Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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Tarekegn GM, Khayatzadeh N, Liu B, Osama S, Haile A, Rischkowsky B, Zhang W, Tesfaye K, Dessie T, Mwai OA, Djikeng A, Mwacharo JM. Ethiopian indigenous goats offer insights into past and recent demographic dynamics and local adaptation in sub-Saharan African goats. Evol Appl 2021; 14:1716-1731. [PMID: 34295359 PMCID: PMC8287980 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge on how adaptive evolution and human socio-cultural and economic interests shaped livestock genomes particularly in sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. Ethiopia is in a geographic region that has been critical in the history of African agriculture with ancient and diverse human ethnicity and bio-climatic conditions. Using 52K genome-wide data analysed in 646 individuals from 13 Ethiopian indigenous goat populations, we observed high levels of genetic variation. Although runs of homozygosity (ROH) were ubiquitous genome-wide, there were clear differences in patterns of ROH length and abundance and in effective population sizes illustrating differences in genome homozygosity, evolutionary history, and management. Phylogenetic analysis incorporating patterns of genetic differentiation and gene flow with ancestry modelling highlighted past and recent intermixing and possible two deep ancient genetic ancestries that could have been brought by humans with the first introduction of goats in Africa. We observed four strong selection signatures that were specific to Arsi-Bale and Nubian goats. These signatures overlapped genomic regions with genes associated with morphological, adaptation, reproduction and production traits due possibly to selection under environmental constraints and/or human preferences. The regions also overlapped uncharacterized genes, calling for a comprehensive annotation of the goat genome. Our results provide insights into mechanisms leading to genome variation and differentiation in sub-Saharan Africa indigenous goats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Getinet M. Tarekegn
- Department of Animal Production and TechnologySchool of Animal Sciences and Veterinary MedicineBahir Dar UniversityBahir DarEthiopia
- Department of Animal Breeding and GeneticsSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)UppsalaSweden
| | - Negar Khayatzadeh
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural SystemsDivision of Livestock SciencesUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Bin Liu
- Inner Mongolia Agricultural UniversityHohhotChina
| | - Sarah Osama
- The University of QueenslandSaint LuciaQLDAustralia
| | - Aynalem Haile
- Small Ruminant GenomicsInternational Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)Addis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Barbara Rischkowsky
- Small Ruminant GenomicsInternational Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)Addis AbabaEthiopia
| | | | - Kassahun Tesfaye
- Department of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular BiologyAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Tadelle Dessie
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)Addis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Okeyo A. Mwai
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)NairobiKenya
| | - Appolinaire Djikeng
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences Group, SRUC and Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH)The Roslin InstituteEaster BushMidlothianUK
| | - Joram M. Mwacharo
- Small Ruminant GenomicsInternational Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)Addis AbabaEthiopia
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences Group, SRUC and Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH)The Roslin InstituteEaster BushMidlothianUK
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Sweet-Jones J, Lenis VP, Yurchenko AA, Yudin NS, Swain M, Larkin DM. Genotyping and Whole-Genome Resequencing of Welsh Sheep Breeds Reveal Candidate Genes and Variants for Adaptation to Local Environment and Socioeconomic Traits. Front Genet 2021; 12:612492. [PMID: 34220925 PMCID: PMC8253514 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.612492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Advances in genetic tools applied to livestock breeding has prompted research into the previously neglected breeds adapted to harsh local environments. One such group is the Welsh mountain sheep breeds, which can be farmed at altitudes of 300 m above sea level but are considered to have a low productive value because of their poor wool quality and small carcass size. This is contrary to the lowland breeds which are more suited to wool and meat production qualities, but do not fare well on upland pasture. Herein, medium-density genotyping data from 317 individuals representing 15 Welsh sheep breeds were used alongside the whole-genome resequencing data of 14 breeds from the same set to scan for the signatures of selection and candidate genetic variants using haplotype- and SNP-based approaches. Results Haplotype-based selection scan performed on the genotyping data pointed to a strong selection in the regions of GBA3, PPARGC1A, APOB, and PPP1R16B genes in the upland breeds, and RNF24, PANK2, and MUC15 in the lowland breeds. SNP-based selection scan performed on the resequencing data pointed to the missense mutations under putative selection relating to a local adaptation in the upland breeds with functions such as angiogenesis (VASH1), anti-oxidation (RWDD1), cell stress (HSPA5), membrane transport (ABCA13 and SLC22A7), and insulin signaling (PTPN1 and GIGFY1). By contrast, genes containing candidate missense mutations in the lowland breeds are related to cell cycle (CDK5RAP2), cell adhesion (CDHR3), and coat color (MC1R). Conclusion We found new variants in genes with potentially functional consequences to the adaptation of local sheep to their environments in Wales. Knowledge of these variations is important for improving the adaptative qualities of UK and world sheep breeds through a marker-assisted selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Sweet-Jones
- Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vasileios Panagiotis Lenis
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of Aberystwyth, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom.,School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
| | - Andrey A Yurchenko
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICG SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Nikolay S Yudin
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICG SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Martin Swain
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of Aberystwyth, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom
| | - Denis M Larkin
- Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, United Kingdom.,The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICG SB RAS), Novosibirsk, Russia
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48
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Luo R, Zhang X, Wang L, Zhang L, Li G, Zheng Z. GLIS1, a potential candidate gene affect fat deposition in sheep tail. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:4925-4931. [PMID: 34132943 PMCID: PMC8260413 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06468-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Fat deposition in sheep tails is as a result of a complicated mechanism. Mongolian sheep (MG) and Small Tail Han sheep (STH) are two fat-tailed Chinese indigenous sheep breeds while DairyMeade and East Friesian (DS) are two thin-tailed dairy sheep breeds recently introduced to China. In this study, population genomics analysis was applied to identify candidate genes associated with sheep tails based on an in-depth whole-genome sequencing of MG, STH and DS. The selective signature analysis demonstrated that GLIS1, LOC101117953, PDGFD and T were in the significant divergent regions between DS and STH–MG. A nonsynonymous point mutation (g.27807636G>T) was found within GLIS1 in STH–MG and resulted in a Pro to Thr substitution. As a pro-adipogenic factor, GLIS1 may play critical roles in the mesodermal cell differentiation during fetal development affecting fat deposition in sheep tails. This study gives a new insight into the genetic basis of species-specific traits of sheep tails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongsong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010070, China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Xiaoran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010070, China
| | - Likai Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010070, China
| | - Guangpeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010070, China.
| | - Zhong Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010070, China.
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49
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Shi X, Wu J, Lang X, Wang C, Bai Y, Riley DG, Liu L, Ma X. Comparative transcriptome and histological analyses provide insights into the skin pigmentation in Minxian black fur sheep (Ovis aries). PeerJ 2021; 9:e11122. [PMID: 33986980 PMCID: PMC8086576 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Minxian black fur (MBF) sheep are found in the northwestern parts of China. These sheep have developed several special traits. Skin color is a phenotype subject to strong natural selection and diverse skin colors are likely a consequence of differences in gene regulation. Methods Skin structure, color differences, and gene expression (determined by RNA sequencing) were evaluated the Minxian black fur and Small-tail Han sheep (n = 3 each group), which are both native Chinese sheep breeds. Results Small-tail Han sheep have a thicker skin and dermis than the Minxian black fur sheep (P < 0.01); however, the quantity of melanin granules is greater (P < 0.01) in Minxian black fur sheep with a more extensive distribution in skin tissue and hair follicles. One hundred thirty-three differentially expressed genes were significantly associated with 37 ontological terms and two critical KEGG pathways for pigmentation (“tyrosine metabolism” and “melanogenesis” pathways). Important genes from those pathways with known involvement in pigmentation included OCA2 melanosomal transmembrane protein (OCA2), dopachrome tautomerase (DCT), tyrosinase (TYR) and tyrosinase related protein (TYRP1), melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), and premelanosome protein (PMEL). The results from our histological and transcriptome analyses will form a foundation for additional investigation into the genetic basis and regulation of pigmentation in these sheep breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Shi
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - Jianping Wu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xia Lang
- Animal Husbandry, Pasture, and Green Agriculture Institute, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - Cailian Wang
- Animal Husbandry, Pasture, and Green Agriculture Institute, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China.,Key Laboratory for Sheep, Goat, and Cattle Germplasm and Straw Feed in Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - Yan Bai
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - David Greg Riley
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Lishan Liu
- Animal Husbandry, Pasture, and Green Agriculture Institute, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
| | - Xiaoming Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
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50
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Baazaoui I, Bedhiaf-Romdhani S, Mastrangelo S, Ciani E. Genome-wide analyses reveal population structure and identify candidate genes associated with tail fatness in local sheep from a semi-arid area. Animal 2021; 15:100193. [PMID: 33715983 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2021.100193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Under a climate change perspective, the genetic make-up of local livestock breeds showing adaptive traits should be explored and preserved as a priority. We used genotype data from the ovine 50 k Illumina BeadChip for assessing breed autozygosity based on runs of homozygosity (ROH) and fine-scale genetic structure and for detecting genomic regions under selection in 63 Tunisian sheep samples. The average genomic inbreeding coefficients based on ROH were estimated at 0.017, 0.021, and 0.024 for Barbarine (BAR, n = 26), Noire de Thibar (NDT, n = 23), and Queue fine de l'Ouest (QFO, n = 14) breeds, respectively. The genomic relationships among individuals based on identity by state (IBS) distance matrix highlighted a recent introgression of QFO into the BAR and a genetic differentiation of NDT samples, possibly explained by past introgression of European gene pools. Genome-wide scan for ROH across breeds and within the BAR sample set identified an outstanding signal on chromosome 13 (46.58-49.61 Mbp). These results were confirmed using FST index, differentiating fat vs. thin-tailed individuals. Candidate genes under selection pressure (CDS2, PROKR1, and BMP2) were associated to lipid storage and probably preferentially selected in fat-tailed BAR animals. Our findings suggest paying more attention to preserve the genetic integrity and adaptive alleles of local sheep breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Baazaoui
- Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage, 7021 Zarzouna, Bizerte, Tunisia
| | - S Bedhiaf-Romdhani
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie, Laboratoire des Productions Animales et Fourragères, Université de Carthage, 2049 Ariana, Tunisie..
| | - S Mastrangelo
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - E Ciani
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
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