Genome-wide association study for numbers of vertebrae in Dezhou donkey population reveals new candidate genes

Numbers of vertebrae is an important economic trait associated with body size and meat productivity in animals.However,the genetic basis of vertebrae number in donkey remains to be well understood.The aim of this study was to identify candidate genes affecting the number of thoracic(TVn)and the number of lumbar vertebrae(LVn)in Dezhou donkey.A genome-wide association study was conducted using whole genome sequence data imputed from low-coverage genome sequencing.For TVn,we identified 38 genome-wide significant and 64 suggestive SNPs,which relate to 7 genes(NLGN1,DCC,SLC26A7,TOX,WNT7A,LOC123286078,and LOC123280142).For LVn,we identified 9 genome-wide significant and 38 suggestive SNPs,which relate to 8 genes(GABBR2,FBXO4,LOC123277146,LOC123277359,BMP7,B3GAT1,EML2,and LRP5).The genes involve in the Wnt and TGF-βsignaling pathways and may play an important role in embryonic development or bone formation and could be good candidate genes for TVn and LVn.

Research Progress on the Structure of DCAF7 Gene and Its Effects on Growth and Development

DNA damage binding protein 1(DDB1) and CUL4-associated factor 7(DCAF7), also known as WDR68, regulate a series of biological activities such as growth and development of organisms. In this paper, the nucleotide sequence and the secondary structure and tertiary structure of the encoded protein were analyzed by an online bioinformatics program, and the biological function, deletion effects and expression level of the gene in different tissues were reviewed, in order to provide reference for the study of this gene as a genetic marker affecting livestock production performance.

Genomes reveal selective sweeps in kiang and donkey for high-altitude adaptation

Over the last several hundred years,donkeys have adapted to high-altitude conditions on the Tibetan Plateau.Interestingly,the kiang,a closely related equid species,also inhabits this region.Previous reports have demonstrated the importance of specific genes and adaptive introgression in divergent lineages for adaptation to hypoxic conditions on the Tibetan Plateau.Here,we assessed whether donkeys and kiangs adapted to the Tibetan Plateau via the same or different biological pathways and whether adaptive introgression has occurred.We assembled a de novo genome from a kiang individual and analyzed the genomes of five kiangs and 93 donkeys(including 24 from the Tibetan Plateau).Our analyses suggested the existence of a strong hard selective sweep at the EPAS1 locus in kiangs.In Tibetan donkeys,however,another gene,i.e.,EGLN1,was likely involved in their adaptation to high altitude.In addition,admixture analysis found no evidence for interspecific gene flow between kiangs and Tibetan donkeys.Our findings indicate that despite the short evolutionary time scale since the arrival of donkeys on the Tibetan Plateau,as well as the existence of a closely related species already adapted to hypoxia,Tibetan donkeys did not acquire adaptation via admixture but instead evolved adaptations via a different biological pathway.