Whole-Genome resequencing reveals aberrant autosomal SNPs affect chicken feathering rate

Mendelian inheritance observed that two alleles on sex chromosome Z, k+ and k control feathering of chickens. However, in the actual production, feathering of chickens usually not consistent with sex chromosome control.This study aimed to identify whether the feathering speed is related to autosomal inheritance. We present a comprehensive investigation of 8 chickens with the whole genome resequencing, including parental and commodity generation. As a result, 54,984 autosome SNPs were differently mutated between the fast and the slow chickens, including 393 exonic SNPs in the slow chickens, and 376 exonic SNPs in the fast feather chickens. The mutated genes mainly had function of response to stimulated, growth and reproduction. Mutated genes related to slow feathering rate were involved in the pathway of wnt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway. Whereas mutated genes related to fast feathering rate were primarily involved in the pathway of autophagy, calcium signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction and Focal adhesion. Two SNPs was found in the extronic regions of wnt signaling genes, which has been reported to involved in feather development. Our results provided some new insights into the sex-linked inheritance and were of economic significance to the breeding of chicken.