Chen Kaiyu, Zhang Yuelang, Pan Yizhe, Xiang Xin, Peng Chen, He Jiayi, Huang Guiqing, Wang Zhengguang, Zhao Pengju
College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, Hainan 572000, China.
J Genet Genomics. 2025 Feb;52(2):245-257. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2024.11.015. Epub 2024 Dec 4.
Hu sheep is an indigenous breed from the Taihu Lake Plain in China, known for its high fertility. Although Hu sheep belong to the Mongolian group, their demographic history and genetic architecture remain inconclusive. Here, we analyze 697 sheep genomes from representatives of Mongolian sheep breeds. Our study suggests that the ancestral Hu sheep first separated from the Mongolian group approximately 3000 years ago. As Hu sheep migrated from the north and flourished in the Taihu Lake Plain around 1000 years ago, they developed a unique genetic foundation and phenotypic characteristics, which are evident in the genomic footprints of selective sweeps and structural variation landscape. Genes associated with reproductive traits (BMPR1B and TDRD10) and horn phenotype (RXFP2) exhibit notable selective sweeps in the genome of Hu sheep. A genome-wide association analysis reveals that structural variations at LOC101110773, MAST2, and ZNF385B may significantly impact polledness, teat number, and early growth in Hu sheep, respectively. Our study offers insights into the evolutionary history of Hu sheep and may serve as a valuable genetic resource to enhance the understanding of complex traits in Hu sheep.
湖羊是中国太湖平原的一个本土品种，以其高繁殖力而闻名。尽管湖羊属于蒙古羊群体，但其种群历史和遗传结构仍不明确。在此，我们分析了来自蒙古羊品种代表的697个绵羊基因组。我们的研究表明，湖羊的祖先大约在3000年前首次从蒙古羊群体中分离出来。随着湖羊大约在1000年前从北方迁徙并在太湖平原繁荣发展，它们形成了独特的遗传基础和表型特征，这在选择性清除的基因组足迹和结构变异图谱中很明显。与繁殖性状（BMPR1B和TDRD10）和角表型（RXFP2）相关的基因在湖羊基因组中表现出显著的选择性清除。全基因组关联分析表明，LOC101110773、MAST2和ZNF385B的结构变异可能分别对湖羊的无角性状、乳头数量和早期生长有显著影响。我们的研究为湖羊的进化历史提供了见解，并可能作为一种有价值的遗传资源，以增进对湖羊复杂性状的理解。
