Abstract

Bos indicus breed Sahiwal, famous for its optimum performance, has so far been genetically improved for performance traits based on phenotypic records and the genomic knowhow regarding genes, regions and biological processes underlying the complex quantitative traits is lacking. In this context, a Genome-wide Association Study was performed for fertility and growth traits in Sahiwal cattle to shed light on its genomic profile. A total of 46 SNPs were found associated with the traits at genome-wide suggestive threshold of P ≤ 10⁻⁴. USP32, LRPPRC, PLA2G10, RRN3 and ASAP1 were identified as putative candidate genes for body weight at different ages. However, several genes mapped for growth traits like GREB1, PLA2G10, RAD51C, BIRC6, TEX14 and PEBP4 had significant physiological underpinnings in determining fertility of the animals. Moreover, Quantitative trait loci (QTL) identification revealed potential overlaps with the already reported QTLs for both fertility and growth for most of the traits. Further, candidate SNP enrichment analysis revealed an enriched biological process for birth weight with a significant reproductive role. Based on the findings, genetic linkages underlying fertility and growth could be discerned in Sahiwal population and may be utilized for improving fertility traits in future.

摘要

Bos indicus品种 Sahiwal 以其最佳性能而闻名，迄今已根据表型记录对性能特征进行了遗传改良，但缺乏有关复杂数量性状背后的基因、区域和生物过程的基因组知识。在这种情况下，对 Sahiwal 牛的生育力和生长特性进行了全基因组关联研究，以阐明其基因组概况。在P  ≤ 10 ^-4的全基因组提示阈值下，共发现 46 个 SNP 与性状相关. USP32、LRPPRC、PLA2G10、RRN3 和 ASAP1 被确定为不同年龄段体重的推定候选基因。然而，几个绘制生长性状的基因，如 GREB1、PLA2G10、RAD51C、BIRC6、TEX14 和 PEBP4，在决定动物的生育能力方面具有重要的生理学基础。此外，数量性状位点 (QTL) 鉴定揭示了与已报道的大多数性状的生育力和生长 QTL 的潜在重叠。此外，候选 SNP 富集分析揭示了一个丰富的出生体重生物过程，具有重要的生殖作用。根据这些发现，可以在 Sahiwal 种群中辨别出生育力和生长背后的遗传联系，并可能在未来用于改善生育力特征。