Genome-wide association for plasma urea concentration in sheep

• Published in: Livestock science 2021-06, Vol.248, p.104483, Article 104483
• Main Authors: de Souza, Taiana Cortez, de Souza, Tatiana Cortez, Rovadoscki, Gregorí Alberto, Coutinho, Luiz Lehmann, Mourão, Gerson Barreto, de Camargo, Gregório Miguel Ferreira, Costa, Raphael Bermal, de Carvalho, Gleidson Giordano Pinto, Pedrosa, Victor Breno, Pinto, Luís Fernando Batista
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Blood; Genetics; Health; Lambs; Metabolism; Protein
• ISSN: 1871-1413; 1878-0490
• DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2021.104483

•Heritability for plasma urea concentration in sheep was estimated (0.10±0.07).•Seven genome regions explained 12.4% of genetic variance of plasma urea in sheep.•Twenty-one candidate genes for plasma urea concentration in sheep were found.•Functional analysis found five significant pathways. Urea-related traits can be used as an indicator of nitrogen (N) utilization and excretion and have a key role in the protein metabolism of ruminants. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out for plasma urea concentration (PUC) in Santa Inês sheep. PUC was recorded in 229 lambs, which were also genotyped with OvineSNP50K BeadChip. After data quality control, 43,996 variants and 229 PUC records were used in GWAS. The WssGBLUP method was used in GWAS analysis and genome windows of 1.0 Mb were analyzed. Estimate of heritability for PUC was 0.10±0.07. Seven genomic regions in the chromosomes OAR3, OAR6, OAR10, OAR23, and OAR24 explained 12.4% of the additive genetic variance and harbored 95 genes. Some candidate genes (LOC114113767, LOC105612842 in OAR3, CLOCK and NMU in OAR6, KLHL1, and NBEA in OAR10, NDUFV2, RAB31, and RAB12 in OAR23, AZGP1, LAMTOR4, SMURF1, ARPC1A, ARPC1B, LOC101110727, LOC101110202, and CYP3A24 in OAR24) were found. Moreover, five significant (P < 0.05) pathways (“steroid hormone biosynthesis”, “linoleic acid metabolism”, “retinol metabolism”, “chemical carcinogenesis”, and “endocytosis”) were identified. Future studies can identify the potential use of the variants in these genes to improve performance and health of sheep, as well as to identify association with N utilization and excretion.