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Bazvand B, Rashidi A, Zandi MB, Moradi MH, Rostamzadeh J. Genome-wide analysis of population structure, effective population size and inbreeding in Iranian and exotic horses. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299109. [PMID: 38442089 PMCID: PMC10914290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299109] [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: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Population structure and genetic diversity are the key parameters to study the breeding history of animals. This research aimed to provide a characterization of the population structure and to compare the effective population size (Ne), LD decay, genetic diversity, and genomic inbreeding in Iranian native Caspian (n = 38), Turkmen (n = 24) and Kurdish (n = 29) breeds and some other exotic horses consisting of Arabian (n = 24), Fell pony (n = 21) and Akhal-Teke (n = 20). A variety of statistical population analysis techniques, such as principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant analysis of principal component (DAPC) and model-based method (STRUCTURE) were employed. The results of the population analysis clearly demonstrated a distinct separation of native and exotic horse breeds and clarified the relationships between studied breeds. The effective population size (Ne) for the last six generations was estimated 54, 49, 37, 35, 27 and 26 for the Caspian, Kurdish, Arabian, Turkmen, Akhal-Teke and Fell pony breeds, respectively. The Caspian breed showed the lowest LD with an average r2 value of 0.079, while the highest was observed in Fell pony (0.148). The highest and lowest average observed heterozygosity were found in the Kurdish breeds (0.346) and Fell pony (0.290) breeds, respectively. The lowest genomic inbreeding coefficient based on run of homozygosity (FROH) and excess of homozygosity (FHOM) was in the Caspian and Kurdish breeds, respectively, while based on genomic relationship matrix) FGRM) and correlation between uniting gametes) FUNI) the lowest genomic inbreeding coefficient was found in the Kurdish breed. The estimation of genomic inbreeding rates in the six breeds revealed that FROH yielded lower estimates compared to the other three methods. Additionally, the Iranian breeds displayed lower levels of inbreeding compared to the exotic breeds. Overall, the findings of this study provide valuable insights for the development of effective breeding management strategies aimed at preserving these horse breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Bazvand
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdishistan, Sanandaj, Kurdishistan, Iran
| | - A. Rashidi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdishistan, Sanandaj, Kurdishistan, Iran
| | - M. B. Zandi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
| | - M. H. Moradi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak University, Arak, Iran
| | - J. Rostamzadeh
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdishistan, Sanandaj, Kurdishistan, Iran
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Lindsay-McGee V, Sanchez-Molano E, Banos G, Clark EL, Piercy RJ, Psifidi A. Genetic characterisation of the Connemara pony and the Warmblood horse using a within-breed clustering approach. Genet Sel Evol 2023; 55:60. [PMID: 37592264 PMCID: PMC10436415 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-023-00827-w] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Connemara pony (CP) is an Irish breed that has experienced varied selection by breeders over the last fifty years, with objectives ranging from the traditional hardy pony to an agile athlete. We compared these ponies with well-studied Warmblood (WB) horses, which are also selectively bred for athletic performance but with a much larger census population. Using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and whole-genome sequencing data from 116 WB (94 UK WB and 22 European WB) and 36 CP (33 UK CP and 3 US CP), we studied the genomic diversity, inbreeding and population structure of these breeds. RESULTS The k-means clustering approach divided both the CP and WB populations into four genetic groups, among which the CP genetic group 1 (C1) associated with non-registered CP, C4 with US CP, WB genetic group 1 (W1) with Holsteiners, and W3 with Anglo European and British WB. Maximum and mean linkage disequilibrium (LD) varied significantly between the two breeds (mean from 0.077 to 0.130 for CP and from 0.016 to 0.370 for WB), but the rate of LD decay was generally slower in CP than WB. The LD block size distribution peaked at 225 kb for all genetic groups, with most of the LD blocks not exceeding 1 Mb. The top 0.5% harmonic mean pairwise fixation index (FST) values identified ontology terms related to cancer risk when the four CP genetic groups were compared. The four CP genetic groups were less inbred than the WB genetic groups, but C2, C3 and C4 had a lower proportion of shorter runs of homozygosity (ROH) (74 to 76% < 4 Mb) than the four WB genetic groups (80 to 85% < 4 Mb), indicating more recent inbreeding. The CP and WB genetic groups had a similar ratio of effective number of breeders (Neb) to effective population size (Ne). CONCLUSIONS Distinct genetic groups of individuals were revealed within each breed, and in WB these genetic groups reflected population substructure better than studbook or country of origin. Ontology terms associated with immune and inflammatory responses were identified from the signatures of selection between CP genetic groups, and while CP were less inbred than WB, the evidence pointed to a greater degree of recent inbreeding. The ratio of Neb to Ne was similar in CP and WB, indicating the influence of popular sires is similar in CP and WB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Lindsay-McGee
- Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Emily L Clark
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Salek Ardestani S, Zandi MB, Vahedi SM, Janssens S. Population structure and genomic footprints of selection in five major Iranian horse breeds. Anim Genet 2022; 53:627-639. [PMID: 35919961 DOI: 10.1111/age.13243] [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: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The genetic structure and characteristics of Iranian native breeds are yet to be comprehensibly investigated and studied. Therefore, we employed genomic information of 364 Iranian native horses representing the Asil (n = 109), Caspian (n = 40), Dareshuri (n = 44), Kurdish (n = 95), and Turkoman (n = 76) breeds to reveal the genetic structure and characteristics. For these and 19 other horse breeds, principal component analysis, Bayesian model-based, Neighbor-Net, and bootstrap-based TreeMix approaches were applied to investigate and compare their genetic structure. Additionally, three haplotype-based methods including haplotype homozygosity pooled, integrated haplotype score, and number of segregating sites by length were applied to trace genomic footprints of selection of Asil, Caspian, Dareshuri, Kurdish, and Turkoman groups. Then, the Mahalanobis distance based on the negative-log10 rank-based P-values was estimated based on the haplotype homozygosity pooled, integrated haplotype score, and number of segregating sites by length values. Asil, Caspian, Dareshuri, Kurdish, and Turkoman can be categorized into five different genetic clusters. Based on the top 1% of Mahalanobis distance based on the negative-log10 rank-based P-values of SNPs, we identified 24 SNPs formerly reported to be associated with different traits and >100 genes undergoing selection pressures in Asil, Caspian, Dareshuri, Kurdish, and Turkoman. The detected QTL undergoing selection pressures were associated with withers height, equine metabolic syndrome, overall body size, insect bite hypersensitivity, guttural pouch tympany, white markings, Rhodococcus equi infection, jumping test score, alternate gaits, and body weight traits. Our findings will aid to have a better perspective of the genetic characteristics and population structure of Asil, Caspian, Dareshuri, Kurdish, and Turkoman horses as Iranian native horse breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Seyed Milad Vahedi
- Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Steven Janssens
- Department Biosystems, Center Animal Breeding and Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Colpitts J, McLoughlin PD, Poissant J. Runs of homozygosity in Sable Island feral horses reveal the genomic consequences of inbreeding and divergence from domestic breeds. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:501. [PMID: 35820826 PMCID: PMC9275264 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08729-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding inbreeding and its impact on fitness and evolutionary potential is fundamental to species conservation and agriculture. Long stretches of homozygous genotypes, known as runs of homozygosity (ROH), result from inbreeding and their number and length can provide useful population-level information on inbreeding characteristics and locations of signatures of selection. However, the utility of ROH for conservation is limited for natural populations where baseline data and genomic tools are lacking. Comparing ROH metrics in recently feral vs. domestic populations of well understood species like the horse could provide information on the genetic health of those populations and offer insight into how such metrics compare between managed and unmanaged populations. Here we characterized ROH, inbreeding coefficients, and ROH islands in a feral horse population from Sable Island, Canada, using ~41 000 SNPs and contrasted results with those from 33 domestic breeds to assess the impacts of isolation on ROH abundance, length, distribution, and ROH islands. RESULTS ROH number, length, and ROH-based inbreeding coefficients (FROH) in Sable Island horses were generally greater than in domestic breeds. Short runs, which typically coalesce many generations prior, were more abundant than long runs in all populations, but run length distributions indicated more recent population bottlenecks in Sable Island horses. Nine ROH islands were detected in Sable Island horses, exhibiting very little overlap with those found in domestic breeds. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis for Sable Island ROH islands revealed enrichment for genes associated with 3 clusters of biological pathways largely associated with metabolism and immune function. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that Sable Island horses tend to be more inbred than their domestic counterparts and that most of this inbreeding is due to historical bottlenecks and founder effects rather than recent mating between close relatives. Unique ROH islands in the Sable Island population suggest adaptation to local selective pressures and/or strong genetic drift and highlight the value of this population as a reservoir of equine genetic variation. This research illustrates how ROH analyses can be applied to gain insights into the population history, genetic health, and divergence of wild or feral populations of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Colpitts
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada.
| | | | - Jocelyn Poissant
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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Salek Ardestani S, Zandi MB, Vahedi SM, Mahboudi H, Mahboudi F, Meskoob A. Detection of common copy number of variation underlying selection pressure in Middle Eastern horse breeds using whole-genome sequence data. J Hered 2022; 113:421-430. [PMID: 35605262 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esac027] [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: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Dareshouri, Arabian, and Akhal-Teke are three Middle Eastern horse breeds that have been selected for endurance and adaptation to harsh climates. Deciphering the genetic characteristics of these horses by tracing selection footprints and copy number of variations will be helpful in improving our understanding of equine breeds' development and adaptation. For this purpose, we sequenced the whole-genome of four Dareshouri horses using Illumina Hiseq panels and compared them with publicly available whole-genome sequences of Arabian (n=3) and Akhal-Teke (n=3) horses . Three tests of FLK, hapFLK, and pooled heterozygosity were applied using a sliding window (window size=100kb, step size=50kb) approach to detect putative selection signals. Copy number variation analysis was applied to investigate copy number of variants (CNVs), and the results were used to suggest selection signatures involving CNVs. Whole-genome sequencing demonstrated 8,837,950 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in autosomal chromosomes. We suggested 58 genes and three quantitative trait loci (QTLs), including some related to horse gait, insect bite hypersensitivity, and withers height, based on selective signals detected by adjusted p-value of Mahalanobis distance based on the rank-based P-values (Md-rank-P) method. We proposed 12 genomic regions under selection pressure involving CNVs which were previously reported to be associated with metabolism energy (SLC5A8), champagne dilution in horses (SLC36A1), and synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids (FAT2). Only 10 Middle Eastern horses were tested in this study; therefore, the conclusions are speculative. Our findings are useful to better understanding the evolution and adaptation of Middle Eastern horse breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siavash Salek Ardestani
- Department of Animal Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Seyed Milad Vahedi
- Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, Canada
| | - Hossein Mahboudi
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
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Nazari F, Seyedabadi HR, Noshary A, Emamjomeh-Kashan N, Banabazi MH. A genome-wide scan for signatures of selection in Kurdish horse breed. J Equine Vet Sci 2022; 113:103916. [PMID: 35218903 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.103916] [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: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The genetic diversity and genomic regions being under putative natural selection in Kurdish horse population were studied. The samples from 72 horses were genotyped by using GGP Equine 70K SNP arrays. The Ne Slope (NeS) analyses revealed that a sharp decline in Ne has probably occurred around four generations ago, and high frequency of ROH with 2-4 Mbp in length suggested that the inbreeding has probably occurred around 20 generations ago. The effective population size (Ne) was 104 horses up to three generations ago and the average inbreeding (FROH) was 0.047(±0.045). Using de-correlated composite of multiple selection signals (DCMS) and runs of homozygosity (ROH) analyses the genomic regions being under putative selection were detected. By using DCMS, a total of 148 significant SNP (FDR < 0.05) were identified, 40% of which were located on ECA9, where the greatest peak was observed. This genomic region harbors several known QTL which are associated with withers height (body size). Also significant genomic regions (FDR<0.05), harboring QTL associated with insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), hair density and coat texture, alternate gaits, guttural pouch tympany and temperament were identified. By using outputs of ROH analyses, two hotspot regions (i.e. 30% of individuals was considered as threshold), were identified on ECA7 (50.11-54.36 Mbp) and ECA11 (26.10-29.07 Mbp) harboring QTL associated with withers height, alternate gait and IBH. In summary, the genomic regions being under putative natural selection which harbors known QTL associated with body size and IBH, among others, were introduced. Nevertheless, additional functional and comparative studies are necessary to corroborate their effect on the observed genetic and phenotypic diversity of the Kurdish horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faezeh Nazari
- Department of Animal Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid-Reza Seyedabadi
- Animal Science Research Institute of Iran (ASRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
| | - Alireza Noshary
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran
| | - Nasser Emamjomeh-Kashan
- Department of Animal Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohamad-Hosein Banabazi
- Animal Science Research Institute of Iran (ASRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran; Department of animal breeding and genetics (HGEN), Centre for Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (VHC), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala 75007, Sweden
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Liu X, Zhang Y, Liu W, Li Y, Pan J, Pu Y, Han J, Orlando L, Ma Y, Jiang L. A single-nucleotide mutation within the TBX3 enhancer increased body size in Chinese horses. Curr Biol 2021; 32:480-487.e6. [PMID: 34906355 PMCID: PMC8796118 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Chinese ponies are endemic to the mountainous areas of southwestern China and were first reported in the archaeological record at the Royal Tomb of Zhongshan King, Mancheng, dated to approximately ∼2,100 YBP.1 Previous work has started uncovering the genetic basis of size variation in western ponies and horses, revealing a limited number of loci, including HMGA2,2LCORL/NCAPG,3ZFAT, and LASP1.4,5 Whether the same genetic pathways also drive the small body size of Chinese ponies, which show striking anatomical differences to Shetland ponies,6 remains unclear.2,7 To test this, we combined whole-genome sequences of 187 horses across China. Statistical analyses revealed top association between genetic variation at the T-box transcription factor 3 (TBX3) and the body size. Fine-scale analysis across an extended population of 189 ponies and 574 horses narrowed down the association to one A/G SNP at an enhancer region upstream of the TBX3 (ECA8:20,644,555, p = 2.34e−39). Luciferase assays confirmed the single-nucleotide G mutation upregulating TBX3 expression, and enhancer-knockout mice exhibited shorter limbs than wild-type littermates (p < 0.01). Re-analysis of ancient DNA data showed that the G allele, which is most frequent in modern horses, first occurred some ∼2,300 years ago and rose in frequency since. This supports selection for larger size in Asia from approximately the beginning of the Chinese Empire. Overall, this study characterized the causal regulatory mutation underlying small body size in Chinese ponies and revealed size as one of the main selection targets of past Chinese breeders. One single A/G SNP in TBX3 enhancer region drives size variation in Chinese horses The frequency of the G variant correlates positively with size in 763 horses Cellular and mice models confirm it affects TBX3 transcription and the limb length The G variant first occurred ∼2,300 years ago and rose in frequency since
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuexue Liu
- Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China; Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, 31000 Toulouse, France; CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China
| | - Yanli Zhang
- Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China; CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China
| | - Wujun Liu
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agriculture University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yefang Li
- Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China; CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China
| | - Jianfei Pan
- Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China; CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China
| | - Yabin Pu
- Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China; CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China
| | - Jianlin Han
- CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China; International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi 00100, Kenya
| | - Ludovic Orlando
- Centre d'Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, 37 allées Jules Guesde, 31000 Toulouse, France.
| | - Yuehui Ma
- Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China; CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China.
| | - Lin Jiang
- Laboratory of Animal (Poultry) Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China; CAAS-ILRI Joint Laboratory on Livestock and Forage Genetic Resources, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, P.R. China.
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Ghoreishifar SM, Rochus CM, Moghaddaszadeh-Ahrabi S, Davoudi P, Salek Ardestani S, Zinovieva NA, Deniskova TE, Johansson AM. Shared Ancestry and Signatures of Recent Selection in Gotland Sheep. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12030433. [PMID: 33802939 PMCID: PMC8002741 DOI: 10.3390/genes12030433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gotland sheep, a breed native to Gotland, Sweden (an island in the Baltic Sea), split from the Gute sheep breed approximately 100 years ago, and since, has probably been crossed with other breeds. This breed has recently gained popularity, due to its pelt quality. This study estimates the shared ancestors and identifies recent selection signatures in Gotland sheep using 600 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype data. Admixture analysis shows that the Gotland sheep is a distinct breed, but also has shared ancestral genomic components with Gute (~50%), Karakul (~30%), Romanov (~20%), and Fjällnäs (~10%) sheep breeds. Two complementary methods were applied to detect selection signatures: A Bayesian population differentiation FST and an integrated haplotype homozygosity score (iHS). Our results find that seven significant SNPs (q-value < 0.05) using the FST analysis and 55 significant SNPs (p-value < 0.0001) using the iHS analysis. Of the candidate genes that contain significant markers, or are in proximity to them, we identify several belongings to the keratin genes, RXFP2, ADCY1, ENOX1, USF2, COX7A1, ARHGAP28, CRYBB2, CAPNS1, FMO3, and GREB1. These genes are involved in wool quality, polled and horned phenotypes, fertility, twining rate, meat quality, and growth traits. In summary, our results provide shared founders of Gotland sheep and insight into genomic regions maintained under selection after the breed was formed. These results contribute to the detection of candidate genes and QTLs underlying economic traits in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mohammad Ghoreishifar
- Department of Animal Science, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj 31587-11167, Iran;
| | - Christina Marie Rochus
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Sima Moghaddaszadeh-Ahrabi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch, Tabriz 5157944533, Iran;
| | - Pourya Davoudi
- Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS B2N5E3, Canada; (P.D.); (S.S.A.)
| | - Siavash Salek Ardestani
- Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS B2N5E3, Canada; (P.D.); (S.S.A.)
| | - Natalia A. Zinovieva
- L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, 142132 Podolsk, Russia; (N.A.Z.); (T.E.D.)
| | - Tatiana E. Deniskova
- L.K. Ernst Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry, 142132 Podolsk, Russia; (N.A.Z.); (T.E.D.)
| | - Anna M. Johansson
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
- Correspondence:
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Salek Ardestani S, Aminafshar M, Zandi Baghche Maryam MB, Banabazi MH, Sargolzaei M, Miar Y. A genome-wide signatures of selection study of Welsh ponies and draft horses revealed five genes associated with horse type variation. GENE REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2020.100833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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10
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Ghoreishifar SM, Eriksson S, Johansson AM, Khansefid M, Moghaddaszadeh-Ahrabi S, Parna N, Davoudi P, Javanmard A. Signatures of selection reveal candidate genes involved in economic traits and cold acclimation in five Swedish cattle breeds. Genet Sel Evol 2020; 52:52. [PMID: 32887549 PMCID: PMC7487911 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-020-00571-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Thousands of years of natural and artificial selection have resulted in indigenous cattle breeds that are well-adapted to the environmental challenges of their local habitat and thereby are considered as valuable genetic resources. Understanding the genetic background of such adaptation processes can help us design effective breeding objectives to preserve local breeds and improve commercial cattle. To identify regions under putative selection, GGP HD 150 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays were used to genotype 106 individuals representing five Swedish breeds i.e. native to different regions and covering areas with a subarctic cold climate in the north and mountainous west, to those with a continental climate in the more densely populated south regions. Results Five statistics were incorporated within a framework, known as de-correlated composite of multiple signals (DCMS) to detect signatures of selection. The obtained p-values were adjusted for multiple testing (FDR < 5%), and significant genomic regions were identified. Annotation of genes in these regions revealed various verified and novel candidate genes that are associated with a diverse range of traits, including e.g. high altitude adaptation and response to hypoxia (DCAF8, PPP1R12A, SLC16A3, UCP2, UCP3, TIGAR), cold acclimation (AQP3, AQP7, HSPB8), body size and stature (PLAG1, KCNA6, NDUFA9, AKAP3, C5H12orf4, RAD51AP1, FGF6, TIGAR, CCND2, CSMD3), resistance to disease and bacterial infection (CHI3L2, GBP6, PPFIBP1, REP15, CYP4F2, TIGD2, PYURF, SLC10A2, FCHSD2, ARHGEF17, RELT, PRDM2, KDM5B), reproduction (PPP1R12A, ZFP36L2, CSPP1), milk yield and components (NPC1L1, NUDCD3, ACSS1, FCHSD2), growth and feed efficiency (TMEM68, TGS1, LYN, XKR4, FOXA2, GBP2, GBP5, FGD6), and polled phenotype (URB1, EVA1C). Conclusions We identified genomic regions that may provide background knowledge to understand the mechanisms that are involved in economic traits and adaptation to cold climate in cattle. Incorporating p-values of different statistics in a single DCMS framework may help select and prioritize candidate genes for further analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mohammad Ghoreishifar
- Department of Animal Science, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, 31587-11167, Iran
| | - Susanne Eriksson
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Anna M Johansson
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Majid Khansefid
- AgriBio Centre for AgriBioscience, Agriculture Victoria, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia
| | - Sima Moghaddaszadeh-Ahrabi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Nahid Parna
- Department of Animal Science, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, 31587-11167, Iran
| | - Pourya Davoudi
- Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS, B2N5E3, Canada
| | - Arash Javanmard
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
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Mancin E, Ablondi M, Mantovani R, Pigozzi G, Sabbioni A, Sartori C. Genetic Variability in the Italian Heavy Draught Horse from Pedigree Data and Genomic Information. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E1310. [PMID: 32751586 PMCID: PMC7460293 DOI: 10.3390/ani10081310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity in the Italian Heavy Horse Breed from pedigree and genomic data. Pedigree information for 64,917 individuals were used to assess inbreeding level, effective population size (Ne), and effective numbers of founders and ancestors (fa/fe). Genotypic information from SNP markers were available for 267 individuals of both sexes, and it allowed estimating genomic inbreeding in two methods (observed versus expected homozygosity and from ROH) to study the breed genomic structure and possible selection signatures. Pedigree and genomic inbreeding were greatly correlated (0.65 on average). The inbreeding trend increased over time, apart from periods in which the base population enlarged, when Ne increased also. Recent bottlenecks did not occur in the genome, as fa/fe have shown. The observed homozygosity results were on average lower than expected, which was probably due to the use of French Breton stallions to support the breed genetic variability. High homozygous regions suggested that inbreeding increased in different periods. Two subpopulations were distinguished, which was probably due to the different inclusion of French animals by breeders. Few selection signatures were found at the population level, with possible associations to disease resistance. The almost low inbreeding rate suggested that despite the small breed size, conservation actions are not yet required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Mancin
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment—DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy; (E.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Michela Ablondi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, University of Parma Via del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy; (M.A.); (A.S.)
| | - Roberto Mantovani
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment—DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy; (E.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Giuseppe Pigozzi
- Italian Heavy Draught Horse Breeders Association (ANACAITPR), 37068 Vigasio (VR), Italy;
| | - Alberto Sabbioni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, University of Parma Via del Taglio 10, 43126 Parma, Italy; (M.A.); (A.S.)
| | - Cristina Sartori
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment—DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy; (E.M.); (C.S.)
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12
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Genetic Diversity and Signatures of Selection in a Native Italian Horse Breed Based on SNP Data. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10061005. [PMID: 32521830 PMCID: PMC7341496 DOI: 10.3390/ani10061005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The Bardigiano horse is a native Italian breed bred for living in rural areas, traditionally used in agriculture. The breed counts about 3000 horses, and it is nowadays mainly used for recreational purposes. The relatively small size and the closed status of the breed raise the issue of monitoring genetic diversity. We therefore characterized the breed’s genetic diversity based on molecular data. We showed a critical reduction of genetic variability mainly driven by past bottlenecks. We also highlighted homozygous genomic regions that might be the outcome of directional selection in recent years, in line with the conversion of Bardigiano horses from agricultural to riding purposes. Abstract Horses are nowadays mainly used for sport and leisure activities, and several local breeds, traditionally used in agriculture, have been exposed to a dramatic loss in population size and genetic diversity. The loss of genetic diversity negatively impacts individual fitness and reduces the potential long-term survivability of a breed. Recent advances in molecular biology and bioinformatics have allowed researchers to explore biodiversity one step further. This study aimed to evaluate the loss of genetic variability and identify genomic regions under selection pressure in the Bardigiano breed based on GGP Equine70k SNP data. The effective population size based on Linkage Disequilibrium (Ne) was equal to 39 horses, and it showed a decline over time. The average inbreeding based on runs of homozygosity (ROH) was equal to 0.17 (SD = 0.03). The majority of the ROH were relatively short (91% were ≤2 Mbp long), highlighting the occurrence of older inbreeding, rather than a more recent occurrence. A total of eight ROH islands, shared among more than 70% of the Bardigiano horses, were found. Four of them mapped to known quantitative trait loci related to morphological traits (e.g., body size and coat color) and disease susceptibility. This study provided the first genome-wide scan of genetic diversity and selection signatures in an Italian native horse breed.
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Salek Ardestani S, Aminafshar M, Zandi Baghche Maryam MB, Banabazi MH, Sargolzaei M, Miar Y. Signatures of selection analysis using whole-genome sequence data reveals novel candidate genes for pony and light horse types. Genome 2020; 63:387-396. [PMID: 32407640 DOI: 10.1139/gen-2020-0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection and domestication have shaped modern horse populations, resulting in a vast range of phenotypically diverse breeds. Horse breeds are classified into three types (pony, light, and draft) generally based on their body type. Understanding the genetic basis of horse type variation and selective pressures related to the evolutionary trend can be particularly important for current selection strategies. Whole-genome sequences were generated for 14 pony and 32 light horses to investigate the genetic signatures of selection of the horse type in pony and light horses. In the overlapping extremes of the fixation index and nucleotide diversity results, we found novel genomic signatures of selective sweeps near key genes previously implicated in body measurements including C4ORF33, CRB1, CPN1, FAM13A, and FGF12 that may influence variation in pony and light horse types. This study contributes to a better understanding of the genetic background of differences between pony and light horse types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siavash Salek Ardestani
- Department of Animal Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1477893855, Iran
| | - Mehdi Aminafshar
- Department of Animal Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1477893855, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Hossein Banabazi
- Department of Biotechnology, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education & Extension Organization, Karaj 3146618361, Iran
| | - Mehdi Sargolzaei
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON NIG 2W1, Canada.,Select Sires Inc., Plain City, OH 43064, USA
| | - Younes Miar
- Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS B2N 5E3, Canada
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