Zhan Siyuan, Luo Jing, Li Ruiyang, Li Guangyao, Li Linxiang, Li Dandan, Zhong Tao, Wang Linjie, Guo Jiazhong, Cao Jiaxue, Zhang Hongping, Li Li
Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 May 27;12:1559764. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1559764. eCollection 2025.
One of the first livestock that humans domesticated was the goat. They give people access to vital supplies. However, the exploration and conservation of the genetic resources of goats are not comprehensive enough. Here, we generated whole-genome sequencing data for 35 samples from three populations (Tongjiang, Banjiao, and Chuandong white) and downloaded the genome sequence data of 30 individuals from three breeds (Jintang black, Chengdu grey, and Tibetan cashmere) to characterize the genomic variations of Tongjiang and other goat breeds. Among the six goat populations studied, the Tongjiang goat exhibits the highest levels of observed heterozygosity and runs of homozygosity, alongside the lowest inbreeding coefficient. The nucleotide diversity and linkage disequilibrium in this population were observed to be at intermediate levels. The population genetic structure analysis showed that significant differentiation of Tongjiang goats from other goat breeds, as evidenced by their distinct clustering and considerable genetic distance from other groups. Furthermore, based on selective sweeps, we identified positive selection genes in Tongjiang goats, which were probably related to important traits such as development (), reproduction (), meat quality (, , and ), and immune response ( and ). Our findings indicate that Tongjiang goats possess elevated genomic diversity and exhibit minimal inbreeding. The unique genetic structure of Tongjiang goats can be partly attributed to the specific geographic conditions of the region. We have identified several selection signatures within the genomic regions of Tongjiang goats, which may play a role in their meat quality and environmental adaptation. All of our findings have the potential to provide an invaluable genomic resource for future genetic research and conservation efforts.
人类最早驯化的家畜之一是山羊。它们为人们提供了重要的物资来源。然而，对山羊遗传资源的探索和保护还不够全面。在此，我们对来自三个群体（通江、板角和川东白）的35个样本进行了全基因组测序，并下载了来自三个品种（金堂黑、成都麻羊和藏山羊）的30个个体的基因组序列数据，以表征通江山羊和其他山羊品种的基因组变异。在所研究的六个山羊群体中，通江山羊表现出最高水平的观察杂合度和纯合子片段，同时近交系数最低。观察到该群体的核苷酸多样性和连锁不平衡处于中等水平。群体遗传结构分析表明，通江山羊与其他山羊品种存在显著分化，这从它们明显的聚类以及与其他群体相当大的遗传距离中得到证明。此外，基于选择清除分析，我们在通江山羊中鉴定出了正选择基因，这些基因可能与发育（）、繁殖（）、肉质（、和）以及免疫反应（和）等重要性状相关。我们的研究结果表明，通江山羊具有较高的基因组多样性且近交程度最低。通江山羊独特的遗传结构部分归因于该地区特定的地理条件。我们在通江山羊的基因组区域内鉴定出了几个选择信号，它们可能在其肉质和环境适应性方面发挥作用。我们所有的研究结果都有可能为未来的遗传研究和保护工作提供宝贵的基因组资源。
