Genome-wide association study for postweaning weight traits in Lori-Bakhtiari sheep

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production Vol. 53; no. 1; p. 163
• Main Authors: Almasi, Mohammad, Zamani, Pouya, Mirhoseini, Seyed Ziaeddin, Moradi, Mohammad Hossein
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-12-2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal breeding; Animal husbandry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Body weight; Body weight gain; Chromosome 10; Chromosome 13; Chromosomes; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Gene mapping; Genes; Genetic diversity; Genetic variance; Genome-wide association studies; Genomes; Genomics; Life Sciences; Marker-assisted selection; Meat; Phenotypes; Physical growth; Quantitative trait loci; Regular Articles; Sheep; Single-nucleotide polymorphism; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Zoology; Quantitative trait loci; Candidate gene; Genomic heritability; Growth; Body weight
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02595-5

Marker-assisted selection is an effective method in novel animal breeding programs. This study was conducted to perform a genome-wide association study to detect candidate genes and quantitative trait loci associated with postweaning weight traits in meat-type sheep. Body weight records were collected during 29 years (1989 to 2017) in Lori-Bakhtiari sheep flock of the Shooli Breeding Station in Iran. A total of 132 animals were selected based on estimates of breeding values (EBVs) for body weight, using two-tailed and random selection strategies. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood samples. The samples were genotyped using Illumina OvineSNP50 BeadChip. De-regressed EBVs for postweaning body weight traits were used as pseudo-phenotypes in a genome-wide association study. One SNP on chromosome 10 (rs406324209) and two SNPs on chromosome 13 (rs401963094 and rs418761613) were significantly (Bonferroni-adjusted
p
-values < 0.05) associated with postweaning body weight traits. The significant variants accounted for 0.20% and 0.48% of the total genetic variances for 6- and 9-month body weights, respectively. Genomic heritabilities estimated for 6-, 9- and 12-month weights and postweaning weight gain were 0.28 ± 0.34, 0.35 ± 0.29, 0.37 ± 0.34, and 0.16 ± 0.33, respectively. Two significant SNPs were located within the
ATP8A2
and
PLXDC2
genes, on chromosomes 10 and 13, respectively. Based on the known gene ontologies, both
ATP8A2
and
PLXDC2
could be considered as candidate genes for postweaning body weight traits.