Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Large-Scale Multi-Omics Genome-Wide Association Studies Mo-GWAS: Guidelines for Sample Preparation and Normalization
Published on: July 27, 2021
Genome-Wide Scan for Runs of Homozygosity Identifies Candidate Genes Related to Economically Important Traits in
Sangang He1, Jiang Di2, Bing Han1
1Key Laboratory of Ruminant Genetics, Breeding & Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture; Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of Xinjiang, Institute of Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Xinjiang, Urumqi 830026, China.
Abstract:
In this study, we estimated the number, length, and frequency of runs of homozygosity (ROH) in 635 Chinese Merino and identified genomic regions with high ROH frequency using the OvineSNP50 whole-genome genotyping array. A total of 6039 ROH exceeding 1 Mb were detected in 634 animals. The average number of ROH in each animal was 9.23 and the average length was 5.87 Mb. Most of the ROH were less than 10 Mb, accounting for 88.77% of the total number of detected ROH. In addition, Ovies aries chromosome (OAR) 21 and OAR3 exhibited the highest and lowest coverage of chromosomes by ROH, respectively. OAR1 displayed the highest number of ROH, while the lowest number of ROH was found on OAR24. An inbreeding coefficient of 0.023 was calculated from ROH greater than 1 Mb. Thirteen regions on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 16 were found to contain ROH hotspots. Within the genome regions of OAR6 and OAR11, NCAPG/LCORL, FGF11 and TP53 were identified as the candidate genes related to body size, while the genome region of OAR10 harbored RXFP2 gene responsible for the horn trait. These findings indicate the adaptive to directional trait selection in Chinese Merino.
Related Concept Videos
Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs
Heritability
Incomplete Dominance
Genetic Screens
Forward genetic screens
Forward or “classical” genetic screens involve creating random mutations in an organism’s DNA using radiation, mutagens, or insertion of additional bases, which...
X-linked Traits

