Mapping quantitative trait loci affecting body weight and abdominal fat weight on chicken chromosome one

Body weight and abdominal fat traits are complex and important economic traits that may benefit from the implementation of MAS. The objective of the current study was to identify QTL associated with BW and abdominal fat traits. The Northeast Agricultural University resource population was used in the current study. Body weight and abdominal fat weight were measured in the F2 population. A total of 369 F2 individuals produced from 4 F1 families, their parents, and F0 birds were genotyped by 23 fluorescent microsatellite markers on chromosome 1. A linkage map was constructed, and interval mapping was conducted to identify putative QTL. For BW, 10 QTL were identified at the 1% chromosome wide level, and these 10 QTL were grouped to 3 different regions; 2 QTL were identified at the 5% chromosome wide level, and these 2 QTL were grouped to 2 different regions; and 5 QTL were identified at the suggestive level, and these 5 QTL were grouped to 4 different regions. For the abdominal fat traits, 1 QTL was identified at the 1% chromosome wide level, 1 QTL was identified at the 5% chromosome wide level, and 2 QTL were identified at the suggestive level. The QTL for BW at 12 wk of age explained 13.51% of the phenotypic variance, and 2 QTL for abdominal fat weight explained 2.53 and 3.97% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. The present study identified chromosome regions harboring significant QTL affecting BW and abdominal fat traits. The results provide a useful reference for further candidate gene research and MAS for BW and abdominal fat traits.