DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Genome wide association study for growth in Pakistani dromedary camels using genotyping-by-sequencing

  • Sajida Sabahat (Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences) ;
  • Asif Nadeem (Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences) ;
  • Rudiger Brauning (AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre) ;
  • Peter C. Thomson (Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences) ;
  • Mehar S. Khatkar (The University of Sydney, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney)
  • Received : 2022.05.02
  • Accepted : 2022.10.28
  • Published : 2023.07.01

Abstract

Objective: Growth performance and growth-related traits have a crucial role in livestock due to their influence on productivity. This genome-wide association study (GWAS) in Pakistani dromedary camels was conducted to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with growth at specific camel ages, and for selected SNPs, to investigate in detail how their effects change with increasing camel age. This is the first GWAS conducted on dromedary camels in this region. Methods: Two Pakistani breeds, Marecha and Lassi, were selected for this study. A genotyping-by-sequencing method was used, and a total of 65,644 SNPs were identified. For GWAS, weight records data with several body weight traits, namely, birthweight, weaning weight, and weights of camels at 1, 2, 4, and 6 years of age were analysed by using model-based growth curve analysis. Age-specific weight data were analysed with a linear mixed model that included fixed effects of SNP genotype as well as sex. Results: Based on the q-value method for false discovery control, for Marecha camels, five SNPs at q<0.01 and 96 at q<0.05 were significantly associated with the weight traits considered, while three (q<0.01) and seven (q<0.05) SNP associations were identified for Lassi camels. Several candidate genes harbouring these SNP were discovered. Conclusion: These results will help to better understand the genetic architecture of growth including how these genes are expressed at different phases of their life. This will serve to lay the foundations for applied breeding programs of camels by allowing the genetic selection of superior animals.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The assistance of Dr Ghulam Yasin and Dr Shahid Nabeel from the Camel Breeding & Research Station Rakh Mahni, Bhakkar, and farmers in District Lasbela, Baluchistan, are gratefully acknowledged for help with data and sample collection. We also thank Dr Ken Dodds and colleagues from AgResearch, NZ for assistance with GBS processing. SS was supported by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, for an IRSIP Research Fellowship to undertake part of this research at The University of Sydney.

References

  1. Kadim IT, Mahgoub O, Purchas RW. A review of the growth, and of the carcass and meat quality characteristics of the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius). Meat Sci 2008;80:555-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2008.02.010
  2. Burger PA. The history of Old World camelids in the light of molecular genetics. Trop Anim Health Prod 2016;48:905-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-016-1032-7
  3. Silbermayr K, Orozco-terWengel P, Charruau P, et al. High mitochondrial differentiation levels between wild and domestic Bactrian camels: a basis for rapid detection of maternal hybridization. Anim Genet 2010;41:315-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2009.01993.x
  4. Chuluunbat B, Charruau P, Silbermayr K, Khorloojav T, Burger PA. Genetic diversity and population structure of Mongolian domestic Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus). Anim Genet 2014;45:550-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12158
  5. Ming L, Yi L, Sa R, Wang ZX, Wang Z, Ji R. Genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure of Bactrian camels shown by mitochondrial sequence variations. Anim Genet 2017;48:217-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12511
  6. Abri MAA, Faye B. Genetic improvement in dromedary camels: challenges and opportunities. Front Genet 2019;10:167. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2019.00167
  7. Sabahat S, Brauning R, Clarke SM, Nadeem A, Thomson PC, Khatkar MS. SNP discovery and population structure analysis in Lassi and Marecha camel breeds using a genotyping by sequencing method. Anim Genet 2020;51:620-3. https://doi.org/10.1111/age.12953
  8. Almutairi SE, Boujenane I, Musaad A, Awad-Acharari F. Genetic and nongenetic effects for milk yield and growth traits in Saudi camels. Trop Anim Health Prod 2010;42:1845-53. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-010-9647-6
  9. Afifi M, Metwali EM, Brooks PH. Association between growth hormone single nucleotide polymorphism and body weight in four saudi camel (Camelus dromedarius) breeds. Pak Vet J 2014;34:494-8.
  10. Almathen F, Elbir H, Bahbahani H, Mwacharo J, Hanotte O. Polymorphisms in MC1R and ASIP genes are associated with coat color variation in the Arabian camel. J Hered 2018;109:700-6. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esy024
  11. Guo F, Ming L, Si R, Yi L, He J, Ji R. A genome-wide association study identifies quantitative trait loci affecting hematological traits in Camelus bactrianus. Animals 2020;10:96. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10010096
  12. Bitaraf Sani M, Zare Harofte J, Banabazi MH, et al. Genomic prediction for growth using a low-density SNP panel in dromedary camels. Sci Rep 2021;11:7675. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87296-7
  13. Sabahat S, Khatkar MS, Nadeem A, Thomson PC. Analysis of variation in growth and spline-based growth models for Marecha and Lassi dromedary camels. Trop Anim Health Prod 2020;52:2309-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-020-02250-5
  14. Browning BL, Zhou Y, Browning SR. A one-penny imputed genome from next-generation reference panels. Am J Hum Genet 2018;103:338-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2018.07.015
  15. Dodds KG, McEwan JC, Brauning R, et al. Construction of relatedness matrices using genotyping-by-sequencing data. BMC Genomics 2015;16:1047. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-015-2252-3
  16. Butler D, Cullis BR, Gilmour A, Gogel B. ASReml-R reference manual version 4. Version 4 ed. Hemel Hempstead, UK: VSN International Ltd; 2017.
  17. Storey JD, Tibshirani R. Statistical significance for genome-wide studies. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2003;100:9440-5. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1530509100
  18. Ai H, Huang L, Ren J. Genetic diversity, linkage disequilibrium and selection signatures in Chinese and Western pigs revealed by genome-wide SNP markers. PLoS One 2013;8:e56001. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0056001
  19. Andersson L. Genome-wide association analysis in domestic animals: a powerful approach for genetic dissection of trait loci. Genetica 2009;136:341-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-008-9312-4
  20. Parks JR. A theory of feeding and growth of animals. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag; 1982.
  21. Hadjipavlou G, Bishop SC. Age-dependent quantitative trait loci affecting growth traits in Scottish Blackface sheep. Anim Genet 2009;40:165-75. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2008.01814.x