scholarly journals Identification of a Goat Intersexuality-Associated Novel Variant Through Genome-Wide Resequencing and Hi-C

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guang-Xin E ◽  
Dong-Ke Zhou ◽  
Zhu-Qing Zheng ◽  
Bai-Gao Yang ◽  
Xiang-Long Li ◽  
...  

Background: Polled intersex syndrome (PIS) leads to reproductive disorders in goats and exerts a heavy influence on goat breeding. Since 2001, the core variant of an 11.7 kb deletion at ~129 Mb on chromosome 1 (CHI1) has been widely used as a genetic diagnostic criterion. In 2020, a ~0.48 Mb insertion within the PIS deletion was identified by sequencing in XX intersex goats. However, the suitability of this variation for the diagnosis of intersex goats worldwide and its further molecular genetic mechanism need to be clarified.Results: The whole-genome selective sweep of intersex goats from China was performed with whole-genome next-generation sequencing technology for large sample populations and a case–control study on interbreeds. A series of candidate genes related to the goat intersexuality phenotype were found. We further confirmed that a ~0.48 Mb duplicated fragment (including ERG and KCNJ15) downstream of the ~20 Mb PIS region was reversely inserted into the PIS locus in intersex Chinese goats and was consistent with that in European Saanen and Valais black-necked goats. High-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) technology was then used to compare the 3D structures of the PIS variant neighborhood in CHI1 between intersex and non-intersex goats. A newly found structure was validated as an intrachromosomal rearrangement. This inserted duplication changed the original spatial structure of goat CHI1 and caused the appearance of several specific loop structures in the adjacent ~20 kb downstream region of FOXL2.Conclusions: Results suggested that the novel complex PIS variant genome was sufficient as a broad-spectrum clinical diagnostic marker of XX intersexuality in goats from Europe and China. A series of private dense loop structures caused by segment insertion into the PIS deletion might affect the expression of FOXL2 or other neighboring novel candidate genes. However, these structures require further in-depth molecular biological experimental verification. In general, this study provided new insights for future research on the molecular genetic mechanism underlying female-to-male sex reversal in goats.

Reproduction ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 145 (6) ◽  
pp. 587-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangyang Miao ◽  
Qingmiao Luo

The Small-tail Han sheep and the Surabaya fur sheep are two local breeds in North China, which are characterized by high-fecundity and low-prolificacy breed respectively. Significant genetic differences between these two breeds have provided increasing interests in the identification and utilization of major prolificacy genes in these sheep. High prolificacy is a complex trait, and it is difficult to comprehensively identify the candidate genes related to this trait using the single molecular biology technique. To understand the molecular mechanisms of fecundity and provide more information about high prolificacy candidate genes in high- and low-fecundity sheep, we explored the utility of next-generation sequencing technology in this work. A total of 1.8 Gb sequencing reads were obtained and resulted in more than 20 000 contigs that averaged ∼300 bp in length. Ten differentially expressed genes were further verified by quantitative real-time RT-PCR to confirm the reliability of RNA-seq results. Our work will provide a basis for the future research of the sheep reproduction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 5947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Shuang Li ◽  
Mengyao Shi ◽  
Sheliang Wang ◽  
Lei Shi ◽  
...  

NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1 (NRT1)/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER (PTR) family (NPF) proteins can transport various substrates, and play crucial roles in governing plant nitrogen (N) uptake and distribution. However, little is known about the NPF genes in Brassica napus. Here, a comprehensive genome-wide systematic characterization of the NPF family led to the identification of 193 NPF genes in the whole genome of B. napus. The BnaNPF family exhibited high levels of genetic diversity among sub-families but this was conserved within each subfamily. Whole-genome duplication and segmental duplication played a major role in BnaNPF evolution. The expression analysis indicated that a broad range of expression patterns for individual gene occurred in response to multiple nutrient stresses, including N, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) deficiencies, as well as ammonium toxicity. Furthermore, 10 core BnaNPF genes in response to N stress were identified. These genes contained 6–13 transmembrane domains, located in plasma membrane, that respond discrepantly to N deficiency in different tissues. Robust cis-regulatory elements were identified within the promoter regions of the core genes. Taken together, our results suggest that BnaNPFs are versatile transporters that might evolve new functions in B. napus. Our findings benefit future research on this gene family.


Genome ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Guo ◽  
Liang Qu ◽  
Tao-Cun Dou ◽  
Man-Man Shen ◽  
Yu-Ping Hu ◽  
...  

Bone size is an important trait for chickens because of its association with osteoporosis in layers and meat production in broilers. Here, we employed high density genotyping platforms to detect candidate genes for bone traits. Estimates of the narrow heritabilities ranged from 0.37 ± 0.04 for shank length to 0.59 ± 0.04 for tibia length. The dominance heritability was 0.12 ± 0.04 for shank length. Using a linear mixed model approach, we identified a promising locus within NCAPG on chromosome 4, which was associated with tibia length and mass, femur length and area, and shank length. In addition, three other loci were associated with bone size or mass at a Bonferroni-corrected genome-wide significance threshold of 1%. One region on chicken chromosome 1 between 168.38 and 171.82 Mb harbored HTR2A, LPAR6, CAB39L, and TRPC4. A second region that accounted for 2.2% of the phenotypic variance was located around WNT9A on chromosome 2, where allele substitution was predicted to be associated with tibia length. Four candidate genes identified on chromosome 27 comprising SPOP, NGFR, GIP, and HOXB3 were associated with tibia length and mass, femur length and area, and shank length. Genome partitioning analysis indicated that the variance explained by each chromosome was proportional to its length.


2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 308-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melloni N. Cook ◽  
Jessica A. Baker ◽  
Scott A. Heldt ◽  
Robert W. Williams ◽  
Kristin M. Hamre ◽  
...  

Alcoholism, stress, and anxiety are strongly interacting heritable, polygenetic traits. In a previous study, we identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on murine chromosome (Chr) 1 between 23.0 and 31.5 Mb that modulates genetic differences in the effects of ethanol on anxiety-related phenotypes. The goal of the present study was to extend the analysis of this locus with a focus on identifying candidate genes using newly available data and tools. Anxiety-like behavior was evaluated with an elevated zero maze following saline or ethanol injections (1.8 g/kg) in C57BL/6J, DBA2J, and 72 BXD strains. We detected significant effects of strain and treatment and their interaction on anxiety-related behaviors, although surprisingly, sex was not a significant factor. The Chr1 QTL is specific to the ethanol-treated cohort. Candidate genes in this locus were evaluated using now standard bioinformatic criteria. Collagen 19a1 ( Col19a1) and family sequence 135a ( Fam135a) met most criteria but have lower expression levels and lacked biological verification and, therefore, were considered less likely candidates. In contrast, two other genes, the prenylated protein tyrosine phosphate family member Ptp4a1 (protein tyrosine phosphate 4a1) and the zinc finger protein Phf3 (plant homeoDomain finger protein 3) met each of our bioinformatic criteria and are thus strong candidates. These findings are also of translational relevance because both Ptp4a1 and Phf3 have been nominated as candidates genes for alcohol dependence in a human genome-wide association study. Our findings support the hypothesis that variants in one or both of these genes modulate heritable differences in the effects of ethanol on anxiety-related behaviors.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grazyella Yoshida ◽  
José Manuel Yáñez

Abstract Background: Body traits are generally controlled by several genes in vertebrates (i.e. polygenes), which in turn make them difficult to identify through association mapping. Increasing the power of association studies by combining approaches such as genotype imputation and multi-trait analysis improves the ability to detect quantitative trait loci associated with polygenic traits, such as body traits. Results: A multi-trait genome-wide association study (mtGWAS) was performed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) and genes associated with body traits in Nile tilapia (Oreochromos niloticus) using genotypes imputed to whole-genome sequence (WGS). To increase the statistical power of mtGWAS for the detection of genetic associations, summary statistics from single-trait genome-wide association studies (stGWAS) for eight different body traits recorded in 1,309 animals were used. The mtGWAS increased the statistical power from the original sample size from 13% to 44%, depending on the trait analyzed. The better resolution of the WGS data combined with the increased power of the mtGWAS approach, allowed the detection of significant markers not previously found in the stGWAS. Some lead single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found within important functional candidate genes previously associated with growth-related traits. For instance, we identified SNP within the α1,6-fucosyltransferase (FUT8), solute carrier family 4 member 2 (SLC4A2), A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 9 (ADAMTS9) and heart development protein with EGF like domains 1 (HEG1) genes, which have been associated with average daily gain in sheep, osteopetrosis in cattle, chest size in goats, and growth and meat quality in sheep, respectively. Conclusions: The high-resolution mtGWAS presented, allowed identification of significant SNPs, linked to strong functional candidate genes, associated with body traits in Nile tilapia. These results provide further insights about the genetic variants and genes underlying body trait variation in cichlid fish with high accuracy and strong statistical support.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangang He ◽  
Jiang Di ◽  
Bing Han ◽  
Lei Chen ◽  
Mingjun Liu ◽  
...  

In this study, we estimated the number, length, and frequency of runs of homozygosity (ROH) in 635 Chinese Merino and identified genomic regions with high ROH frequency using the OvineSNP50 whole-genome genotyping array. A total of 6039 ROH exceeding 1 Mb were detected in 634 animals. The average number of ROH in each animal was 9.23 and the average length was 5.87 Mb. Most of the ROH were less than 10 Mb, accounting for 88.77% of the total number of detected ROH. In addition, Ovies aries chromosome (OAR) 21 and OAR3 exhibited the highest and lowest coverage of chromosomes by ROH, respectively. OAR1 displayed the highest number of ROH, while the lowest number of ROH was found on OAR24. An inbreeding coefficient of 0.023 was calculated from ROH greater than 1 Mb. Thirteen regions on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 16 were found to contain ROH hotspots. Within the genome regions of OAR6 and OAR11, NCAPG/LCORL, FGF11 and TP53 were identified as the candidate genes related to body size, while the genome region of OAR10 harbored RXFP2 gene responsible for the horn trait. These findings indicate the adaptive to directional trait selection in Chinese Merino.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grazyella M. Yoshida ◽  
José M. Yáñez

Abstract Background Body traits are generally controlled by several genes in vertebrates (i.e. polygenes), which in turn make them difficult to identify through association mapping. Increasing the power of association studies by combining approaches such as genotype imputation and multi-trait analysis improves the ability to detect quantitative trait loci associated with polygenic traits, such as body traits. Results A multi-trait genome-wide association study (mtGWAS) was performed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) and genes associated with body traits in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) using genotypes imputed to whole-genome sequences (WGS). To increase the statistical power of mtGWAS for the detection of genetic associations, summary statistics from single-trait genome-wide association studies (stGWAS) for eight different body traits recorded in 1309 animals were used. The mtGWAS increased the statistical power from the original sample size from 13 to 44%, depending on the trait analyzed. The better resolution of the WGS data, combined with the increased power of the mtGWAS approach, allowed the detection of significant markers which were not previously found in the stGWAS. Some of the lead single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found within important functional candidate genes previously associated with growth-related traits in other terrestrial species. For instance, we identified SNP within the α1,6-fucosyltransferase (FUT8), solute carrier family 4 member 2 (SLC4A2), A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 9 (ADAMTS9) and heart development protein with EGF like domains 1 (HEG1) genes, which have been associated with average daily gain in sheep, osteopetrosis in cattle, chest size in goats, and growth and meat quality in sheep, respectively. Conclusions The high-resolution mtGWAS presented here allowed the identification of significant SNPs, linked to strong functional candidate genes, associated with body traits in Nile tilapia. These results provide further insights about the genetic variants and genes underlying body trait variation in cichlid fish with high accuracy and strong statistical support.


Author(s):  
Zongfei Li ◽  
Fang Wei ◽  
Mengdie Cai ◽  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Zhenpeng Liu ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miaomiao Lin ◽  
Jinbao Fang ◽  
Chungen Hu ◽  
Xiujuan Qi ◽  
Shihang Sun ◽  
...  

AbstractAmong the genus Actinidia, Actinidia arguta possesses the strongest cold resistance and produces fresh fruit with an intense flavor. To investigate genomic variation that may contribute to variation in phenotypic traits, we performed whole-genome re-sequencing of four A. arguta genotypes originating from different regions in China and identified the polymorphisms using InDel markers. In total, 4,710,650, 4,787,750, 4,646,026, and 4,590,616 SNPs and 1,481,002, 1,534,198, 1,471,304, and 1,425,393 InDels were detected in the ‘Ruby-3’, ‘Yongfeng male’, ‘Kuilv male’, and ‘Hongbei male’ genomes, respectively, compared with the reference genome sequence of ‘Hongyang’. A subset of 120 InDels were selected for re-sequencing validation. Additionally, genes related to non-synonymous SNPs and InDels in coding domain sequences were screened for functional analysis. The analysis of GO and KEGG showed that genes involved in cellular responses to water deprivation, sucrose transport, decreased oxygen levels and plant hormone signal transduction were significantly enriched in A. arguta. The results of this study provide insight into the genomic variation of kiwifruit and can inform future research on molecular breeding to improve cold resistance in kiwifruit.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiheb Boudhrioua ◽  
Maxime Bastien ◽  
Davoud Torkamaneh ◽  
François Belzile

Abstract Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR), caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, is an important cause of yield loss in soybean. Although many papers have reported different loci contributing to partial resistance, few of these were proved to reproduce the same phenotypic impact in different populations. In this study, we identified a major quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with resistance to SSR progression on the main stem by using a genome-wide association mapping (GWAM). A population of 127 soybean accessions was genotyped with 1.5M SNPs derived from genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) ensuring an extensive genome coverage and phenotyped for SSR resistance. SNP-trait association led to discovery of a new QTL on chromosome 1 (Chr01) where resistant lines had shorter lesions on the stem by 29 mm . A single gene (Glyma.01g048000) resided in the same LD block as the peak SNP, but it is of unknown function. The impact of this QTL was even more significant in the descendants of a cross between two lines carrying contrasted alleles for Chr01. Individuals carrying the resistance allele developed lesions almost 50% shorter than those bearing the sensitivity allele. These results suggest that this region harbors a promising resistance QTL to SSR that can be used in soybean breeding program.


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