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Published on: December 10, 2014
Whole-genome sequencing identifies genetic diversity and adaptive signatures of hypoxia and ultraviolet radiation in
Semiu Folaniyi Bello1, Endashaw Terefe2, Haoqiang Ye3
1State Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Breeding, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Key Laboratory of Chicken Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Livestock Breeding, Guangzhou, China; Agriculture Research Group, Organization of African Academic Doctors (OAAD), Off Kamiti Road, P. O. Box 25305-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
Introduction:
Domestic chickens primarily descended from the wild red junglefowl, play a crucial role in global egg and meat production. China hosts diverse indigenous chicken populations that have adapted to various environmental conditions, including high-altitude with hypoxic and ultraviolet radiation stress.
Method:
We analyzed whole-genome sequences of 118 birds from five Indigenous Chinese chicken populations and 295 chicken genomes from publicly available databases to identify genomic diversity, admixture, and selection signatures of chickens adapted to high-altitude environments. Selection signatures were identified using nucleotide diversity (π), Tajima's D, XPEHH, and XP-CLR, selection scan methods.
Results:
We observed a reduction in genetic diversity and historical declines in effective population size in high-altitude chicken, suggesting ongoing selection pressures shaping these populations. Selection scans identified nine genomic regions under strong positive selection, enriched for genes associated with hypoxia and ultraviolet radiation. Notably, five genes (TPK1, BAZ2B, MARCHF7, LLGL2, and RCAN3) were repeatedly detected across multiple selection signature analyses. RNA-seq analysis further confirmed the differential expression of these genes in the lung and heart tissues of chickens adapted to high and low altitudes, reinforcing their role in physiological adaptation to hypoxic environments. Altitude adaptation is driven by the selection of genes involved in oxygen metabolism, cellular stress response, and energy regulation.
Conclusion:
Our study provides compelling genetic evidence for differentiation between high and low and high-altitude Chinese chicken populations. These findings also ensure our understanding of local adaptation in poultry and establish a genomic framework for breeding strategies to improve environmental resilience to altitude-related stressors.
