Nawaz Ali Hassan, Ding Jiqiang, Ali Munwar, Leng Dong, Mukhtar Nasir, Ali Ahtisham, Feng Chungang
College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Poult Sci. 2025 Jul 5;104(10):105542. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2025.105542.
Body weight and growth are crucial traits in chickens, regulated by an intricate genetic architecture that remains challenging to understand completely. Multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed numerous genetic variations associated with these economically important traits, but the application of these findings for sustainable and efficient poultry production is limited. This review synthesizes existing knowledge on the genetic regulation of chicken growth, challenging the traditional approach and encouraging the development of integrated strategies to comprehend the regulatory mechanisms underlying complex growth phenotypes. This review highlights recent advances in omics studies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics), emphasising the utility of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in addressing cellular heterogeneity within growth-related tissues. The advancement of genome sequencing technologies, combined with progress in CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing, has opened new avenues for the precision breeding of economically important traits in chickens. It also discusses how the newly developed Chicken Genotype-Tissue Expression (ChickenGTEx) project and other related data resources could potentially serve as crucial tools to reveal the regulatory mechanisms related to chicken growth, offering insights into tissue specific gene expression. By elucidating regulatory networks and identifying key knowledge gaps, this review intends to accelerate the development of precision breeding approaches for sustainable and efficient poultry production, ultimately enhancing global food security.
体重和生长是鸡的关键性状，受复杂的遗传结构调控，要完全理解这一结构仍具有挑战性。多个数量性状基因座（QTL）定位和全基因组关联研究（GWAS）已经揭示了许多与这些经济重要性状相关的遗传变异，但这些发现应用于可持续和高效的家禽生产的程度有限。本综述综合了关于鸡生长遗传调控的现有知识，对传统方法提出挑战，并鼓励开发综合策略来理解复杂生长表型背后的调控机制。本综述强调了组学研究（基因组学、转录组学、蛋白质组学和代谢组学）的最新进展，重点介绍了单细胞RNA测序（scRNA-seq）在解决生长相关组织内细胞异质性方面的作用。基因组测序技术的进步，结合CRISPR/Cas9介导的基因组编辑的进展，为鸡经济重要性状的精准育种开辟了新途径。本文还讨论了新开发的鸡基因型-组织表达（ChickenGTEx）项目和其他相关数据资源如何可能作为揭示鸡生长相关调控机制的关键工具，提供对组织特异性基因表达的见解。通过阐明调控网络和识别关键知识空白，本综述旨在加速可持续和高效家禽生产精准育种方法的开发，最终加强全球粮食安全。
