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Discovery and characterization of functional modules associated with body weight in broilers
Eirini Tarsani1, Andreas Kranis2,3, Gerasimos Maniatis2
1Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855, Athens, Greece. etarsani@aua.gr.
This study identified 66 functional candidate genes associated with broiler chicken body weight (BW) using genome-wide association studies and network analysis. These genes are crucial for understanding growth and skeletal development in poultry.
Area of Science:
- Animal Genetics
- Quantitative Genetics
- Genomics
Background:
- Broiler chicken body weight (BW) is a complex trait influenced by numerous genes.
- Understanding the genetic architecture of BW is crucial for improving poultry production efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between broiler chicken body weight (BW) and functional modular genes.
- To identify candidate genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) influencing BW.
Main Methods:
- Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) on 6,598 broilers using high-density SNP arrays.
- Identification of positional candidate genes and QTLs in linkage disequilibrium (LD) regions.
- Gene network construction, community structure analysis, and functional enrichment analysis.
Main Results:
- Identified 645 positional candidate genes near 11 significant markers, with 428 within growth-related QTLs.
- Detected 5 gene modules, with 52 genes involved in developmental processes like skeletal development.
- Pinpointed 14 specific modular genes (e.g., GABRG1, NGF, STAT3) related to BW.
Conclusions:
- Identified a total of 66 plausible functional candidate genes for broiler BW.
- These findings provide valuable genetic insights for broiler growth and development improvement.
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