Background: In Kazakhstan, there is a notable demand for fat-tail sheep breeds in both domestic and international markets, which has led to the prioritization of certain breeds for breeding purposes. Among the various sheep breeds raised in the desert and semi-desert regions of Kazakhstan, the Kazakh fat-tailed coarse-wool sheep is particularly valued for its production of high-quality mutton.
Objective: This study aimed to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with body conformation traits in this breed using a genome-wide association study (GWAS).
Methods: A GWAS was performed on 295 Kazakh fat-tailed coarse-wool using OvineSNP50 Genotyping BeadChip (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA).
Results: After quality control, 41,912 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) remained for analysis. Several loci showed suggestive associations (p < 1 × 10-5) with growth traits. These included s23127.1 and OAR6_56152225.1 for live weight; s08490.1 for chest width; s22731.1 for oblique length; OAR10_1168444.1 for cannon bone circumference; and s58409.1 for both rump height and withers height. Candidate genes near these loci encompassed VCAN, NEK1, NRG1, ADAM12, ERBB4, RUNX1T1, and PDGFD.
Conclusion: Thus, these genetic variations have the potential to serve as candidate markers for MAS targeting body conformation traits in Kazakh fat-tailed coarse-wool sheep.
Keywords: GWAS; MAS; SNP; association; growth traits; sheep.