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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Genet.
Sec. Livestock Genomics
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1414717
This article is part of the Research Topic Genomic Insights into Sheep and Goat Breeding Efficiency View all 10 articles

Identification of selective sweep and its associated QTL traits selective sweep and its communication with QTLs in Iranian Ovis aries and Ovis orientalis populations

Provisionally accepted
Saeed Zerehdaran Saeed Zerehdaran *Sadegh Taheri Sadegh Taheri Ali Javadmanesh Ali Javadmanesh
  • Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Identifying genomic regions under selection are the most challenging issue for improving important traits in animals. Few studies have focused on identifying genomic regions in sheep.The aim of this study was to identify selective sweeps and to explore the relationship between these sweeps and quantitative trait loci (QTL) in both domestic and wild sheep species using single nucleotide polymorphism markers (SNPs). Genomic data were obtained from the NextGen project, which included genotyping 20 domestic and 14 wild sheep using the Illumina Ovine SNP50KBeadChip. The XP-EHH, iHS, and RSB methods were employed to detect signatures of positive selection.The results of the iHS method indicated 205 and 135 selective sweeps in domestic and wild sheep, respectively. Additionally, RSB and XP-EHH analyses revealed approximately 430 and 570 selective sweeps in domestic and wild sheep, respectively. Some of the genes associated with important QTL traits in domestic sheep include ADGRB3, CADM1, CAPN2, GALNT10, MTR, RELN, and USP25, while in wild sheep, the relevant genes include ACAN, ACO1, GADL1, MGST3, and PRDM16.Selective sweeps identified in domestic sheep were associated with body weight, muscle weight, milk protein percentage, and milk yield. In contrast, selective sweeps found in wild sheep were linked to average daily gain, bone weight, carcass fat percentage, and dressing percentage. Present results indicate that selection by humans and the environment have largely progressed in harmony, highlighting the importance of both economic and environmental traits for survival. Additionally, the identification of potential candidate genes associated with economic traits and genomic regions that have experienced selection can be utilized in sheep breeding programs. However, due to incomplete information regarding the functional annotation of genes in sheep and the limited sample size, further research with a larger sample group is essential to gain a deeper understanding of the candidate genes linked to economic traits in both domestic and wild sheep. Advancing knowledge in this area can significantly enhance the effectiveness of breeding strategies.The quantitative trait loci identified in this study have the potential to be incorporated into breeding plans for both domestic and wild sheep.

    Keywords: Domestic and Wild Sheep, iHS, RSB, Selective Sweep, QTL, XP-EHH Font color: Red Dressing percentage, FATWT, fat weight in carcass, FECGEN, Faecal egg count, FCURV, Fibre curvature, FLYD, Fleece yield, 235 HFEC, Haemonchus contortus FEC, HO, Horns, HCWT, Hot carcass weight, IGA

    Received: 09 Apr 2024; Accepted: 19 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zerehdaran, Taheri and Javadmanesh. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Saeed Zerehdaran, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

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