Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies 12 Loci Associated with Body Weight at Age 8 Weeks in Korean Native Chickens

• Published in: Genes 2021-07, Vol.12 (8), p.1170
• Main Authors: Cha, Jihye, Choo, Hyojun, Srikanth, Krishnamoorthy, Lee, Seung-Hwan, Son, Ju-Whan, Park, Mi-Rim, Kim, Nayeon, Jang, Gul Won, Park, Jong-Eun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Animals; Body weight; Body Weight - genetics; Chickens - genetics; Chromosome Mapping - veterinary; Gene loci; Gene regulation; Gene set enrichment analysis; Genome-wide association studies; Genome-Wide Association Study; Genomes; Genomics; MAP kinase; Meat; Motor activity; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Poultry; Principal components analysis; Protein kinase; Quality control; Republic of Korea; Signal transduction; Single-nucleotide polymorphism; Software; Transcription; Ventilation
• ISSN: 2073-4425; 2073-4425
• DOI: 10.3390/genes12081170

Meat from Korean native chickens (KNCs) has high consumer demand; however, slow growth performance and high variation in body weight (BW) of KNCs remain an issue. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a powerful method to identify quantitative trait-associated genomic loci. A GWAS, based on a large-scale KNC population, is needed to identify underlying genetic mechanisms related to its growth traits. To identify BW-associated genomic regions, we performed a GWAS using the chicken 60K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel for 1328 KNCs. BW was measured at 8 weeks of age, from 2018 to 2020. Twelve SNPs were associated with BW at the suggestive significance level ( < 2.95 × 10 ) and located near or within 11 candidate genes, including , , , , and . Gene set enrichment analysis based on the GWAS results at < 0.05 (1680 SNPs) showed that 32 Gene Ontology terms and two Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, including regulation of transcription, motor activity, the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, and tight junction, were significantly enriched ( < 0.05) for BW-associated genes. These pathways are involved in cell growth and development, related to BW gain. The identified SNPs are potential biomarkers in KNC breeding.