Weighted single-step GWAS identified candidate genes associated with carcass traits in a Chinese yellow-feathered chicken population

Rongyang Pan; Lin Qi; Zhenqiang Xu; Dexiang Zhang; Qinghua Nie; Xiquan Zhang; Wen Luo

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2023.103341

Weighted single-step GWAS identified candidate genes associated with carcass traits in a Chinese yellow-feathered chicken population

Poult Sci. 2024 Feb;103(2):103341. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103341. Epub 2023 Dec 1.

Authors

Rongyang Pan¹, Lin Qi², Zhenqiang Xu², Dexiang Zhang², Qinghua Nie², Xiquan Zhang², Wen Luo³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, & Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Xugang Yellow Poultry Seed Industry Group Co., Ltd, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, and Key Lab of Chicken Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affair, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, & Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, and Key Lab of Chicken Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affair, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, & Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, and Key Lab of Chicken Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affair, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. Electronic address: luowen729@scau.edu.cn.

Abstract

Carcass traits in broiler chickens are complex traits that are influenced by multiple genes. To gain deeper insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying carcass traits, here we conducted a weighted single-step genome-wide association study (wssGWAS) in a population of Chinese yellow-feathered chicken. The objective was to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with carcass weight (CW), eviscerated weight with giblets (EWG), eviscerated weight (EW), breast muscle weight (BMW), drumstick weight (DW), abdominal fat weight (AFW), abdominal fat percentage (AFP), gizzard weight (GW), and intestine length (IL). A total of 1,338 broiler chickens with phenotypic and pedigree information were included in this study. Of these, 435 chickens were genotyped using a 600K single nucleotide polymorphism chip for association analysis. The results indicate that the most significant regions for 9 traits explained 2.38% to 5.09% of the phenotypic variation, from which the region of 194.53 to 194.63Mb on chromosome 1 with the gene RELT and FAM168A identified on it was significantly associated with CW, EWG, EW, BMW, and DW. Meanwhile, the 5 traits have a strong genetic correlation, indicating that the region and the genes can be used for further research. In addition, some candidate genes associated with skeletal muscle development, fat deposition regulation, intestinal repair, and protection were identified. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses suggested that the genes are involved in processes such as vascular development (CD34, FGF7, FGFR3, ITGB1BP1, SEMA5A, LOXL2), bone formation (FGFR3, MATN1, MEF2D, DHRS3, SKI, STC1, HOXB1, HOXB3, TIPARP), and anatomical size regulation (ADD2, AKT1, CFTR, EDN3, FLII, HCLS1, ITGB1BP1, SEMA5A, SHC1, ULK1, DSTN, GSK3B, BORCS8, GRIP2). In conclusion, the integration of phenotype, genotype, and pedigree information without creating pseudo-phenotype will facilitate the genetic improvement of carcass traits in chickens, providing valuable insights into the genetic architecture and potential candidate genes underlying carcass traits, enriching our understanding and contributing to the breeding of high-quality broiler chickens.

Keywords: Chinese yellow-feathered chicken; SNP; carcass traits; weighted single-step GWAS.

MeSH terms

Animals
Chickens* / physiology
China
Genome-Wide Association Study* / veterinary
Genotype
Phenotype
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide