A genome-wide association study identifies a genomic region for the polycerate phenotype in sheep (Ovis aries)

Sci Rep. 2016 Feb 17:6:21111. doi: 10.1038/srep21111.

Abstract

Horns are a cranial appendage found exclusively in Bovidae, and play important roles in accessing resources and mates. In sheep (Ovies aries), horns vary from polled to six-horned, and human have been selecting polled animals in farming and breeding. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study on 24 two-horned versus 22 four-horned phenotypes in a native Chinese breed of Sishui Fur sheep. Together with linkage disequilibrium (LD) analyses and haplotype-based association tests, we identified a genomic region comprising 132.0-133.1 Mb on chromosome 2 that contained the top 10 SNPs (including 4 significant SNPs) and 5 most significant haplotypes associated with the polycerate phenotype. In humans and mice, this genomic region contains the HOXD gene cluster and adjacent functional genes EVX2 and KIAA1715, which have a close association with the formation of limbs and genital buds. Our results provide new insights into the genetic basis underlying variable numbers of horns and represent a new resource for use in sheep genetics and breeding.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Computational Biology / methods
  • Genome*
  • Genome-Wide Association Study*
  • Genomics*
  • Haplotypes
  • Horns
  • Linkage Disequilibrium
  • Molecular Sequence Annotation
  • Phenotype*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Quality Control
  • Sheep / genetics*