Ovis aries Genome sequencing. Ovis aries breed:AMS

Concerted, long-term artificial breeding has given fine-wool sheep excellent characteristics such as horns, high-quality wool traits and high altitude and low oxygen adaptability. These are complex traits determined by multiple genes, regulatory pathways and environmental factors. To identify candidate genes for horn and adaptability traits on fine-wool sheep, whole-genome variants of 120 individuals from four breeds, including those polled and horn, and from different elevations and habitats in China, were analyzed using whole-genome resequencing and selective sweeps. Common differential single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified among the four breeds. Via gene function annotation, we found that a list of variants and candidate genes were significantly correlated with the horn and high altitude and low oxygen adaption traits of fine-wool sheep, which revealed the genetic basis of the formation of traits and provides a reference for future gene editing design and genomic selection programs.In addition, to explore the candidate genes and the common potential causal genetic variants involved in the development of wool traits in different breeds.We utilized the re-sequencing data and wool phenotypic data of 460 sheep belonging to four different genetic backgrounds of fine-wool sheep breeds in China including Alpine Merino sheep,Chinese Merino sheep,Aohan fine wool sheep and Qinghai fine wool sheep to conduct GWAS.

经长期协同人工选育，细毛羊获得了诸多优良性状，包括角部特征、优质羊毛性状与高原低氧适应能力。上述性状均为复杂性状，由多基因、调控通路及环境因子共同调控决定。为挖掘细毛羊角部性状与适应性状的候选基因，本研究采用全基因组重测序（whole-genome resequencing）与选择性清除（selective sweeps）技术，对来自中国不同海拔与生境的4个品种共120只个体的全基因组变异进行分析，其中涵盖无角与有角类群。研究在4个品种间筛选出了共同的差异单核苷酸多态性（single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs）。通过基因功能注释分析，本研究发现一系列变异位点与候选基因和细毛羊的角部性状及高原低氧适应性状显著相关，阐明了这些性状形成的遗传基础，可为后续基因编辑设计与基因组选择育种方案提供重要参考依据。此外，为探究不同品种羊毛性状发育过程中涉及的候选基因及潜在因果遗传变异，本研究利用来自中国4个具有不同遗传背景的细毛羊品种——阿尔卑斯美利奴羊（Alpine Merino sheep）、中国美利奴羊（Chinese Merino sheep）、敖汉细毛羊（Aohan fine wool sheep）与青海细毛羊（Qinghai fine wool sheep）——共460只绵羊的重测序数据与羊毛表型数据，开展全基因组关联分析（Genome-Wide Association Study, GWAS）。