Tang Xiaoqin, Wang Shuhui, Yi Xiaohua, Li Qi, Sun Xiuzhu
College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China.
College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Nov 30;25(23):12919. doi: 10.3390/ijms252312919.
Tong sheep, known for their superior meat quality and disease resilience, face breeding challenges due to low prolificacy, unlike Hu sheep, which exhibit higher fertility and growth rates. This study identified over 700,000 genetic variants between these breeds through pooled whole-genome sequencing. Functional analysis reveals key differences in pathways related to fat metabolism, insulin signaling, and cell cycle regulation. Notable findings include unique microRNA variants (miR-1185-3p in Tong sheep and miR-487-5p in Hu sheep), with the miR-487-5p mutation potentially regulating KITLG, a fertility-related gene. These results suggest that non-coding RNA mutations contribute to phenotypic differences and provide a genomic foundation for molecular-assisted selection to improve Tong sheep breeding programs.
同羊以其优质的肉质和抗病能力而闻名，但与繁殖力较高、生长速度较快的湖羊不同，同羊因繁殖力低而面临育种挑战。本研究通过混合全基因组测序，在这些品种之间鉴定出了超过70万个基因变异。功能分析揭示了与脂肪代谢、胰岛素信号传导和细胞周期调控相关的途径中的关键差异。显著的发现包括独特的微小RNA变异（同羊中的miR-1185-3p和湖羊中的miR-487-5p），其中miR-487-5p突变可能调控与繁殖力相关的基因KITLG。这些结果表明，非编码RNA突变导致了表型差异，并为分子辅助选择提供了基因组基础，以改善同羊的育种计划。
