Research note: An Adaptive Lasso-based genome-wide association study of blood and meat spots in chicken eggs

Blood and meat spots (BMS) are common internal defects in chicken eggs that compromise egg quality. To reveal genes contribute to BMS formation, we performed an Adaptive Lasso-based genome-wide association study (ALGWAS) of Rhode Island Red (RIR) hens. The results showed that the heritability of BMS was 0.13. Based on ALGWAS, we identified one significant and 144 suggestive SNPs associated with BMS. Within the significant locus, eight candidate genes were annotated (TNFRSF1A, CECR1, TRIM45, CALD1, SIDT1, VTCN1, USF3, ATP6V1A). Among these, VTCN1 emerged as the strongest candidate, supported by eQTL annotation and its established function as an immune checkpoint regulator that modulates inflammation, vascular integrity, and T-cell responses.