Vera, B.; Navajas, E.A.; Peraza, P.; Carracelas, B.; Van Lier, E.; Ciappesoni, G. Genomic Regions Associated with Resistance to Gastrointestinal Parasites in Australian Merino Sheep. Genes2024, 15, 846.
Vera, B.; Navajas, E.A.; Peraza, P.; Carracelas, B.; Van Lier, E.; Ciappesoni, G. Genomic Regions Associated with Resistance to Gastrointestinal Parasites in Australian Merino Sheep. Genes 2024, 15, 846.
Vera, B.; Navajas, E.A.; Peraza, P.; Carracelas, B.; Van Lier, E.; Ciappesoni, G. Genomic Regions Associated with Resistance to Gastrointestinal Parasites in Australian Merino Sheep. Genes2024, 15, 846.
Vera, B.; Navajas, E.A.; Peraza, P.; Carracelas, B.; Van Lier, E.; Ciappesoni, G. Genomic Regions Associated with Resistance to Gastrointestinal Parasites in Australian Merino Sheep. Genes 2024, 15, 846.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions and genes associated with resistance to gastrointestinal nematodes in Australian Merino sheep in Uruguay, using the single-step GWAS methodology (ssGWAS), which is based on genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) obtained from a combination of pedigree, genomic and phenotypic data. This methodology converts GEBVs into SNP effects. Analysis included 26,638 animals with fecal egg count (FEC) records obtained in two independent parasitic cycles (FEC1 and FEC2), and 1,700 50K SNP genotypes. Comparison of genomic regions was based on genetic variances (gVar(%)) explained by non-overlapping regions of 20 SNPs. For FEC1 and FEC2, 18 and 22 genomic windows exceeded the significance threshold (gVar(%) ≥ 0.22%), respectively. The genomic regions with strong associations with FEC1 were located on chromosomes OAR 2, 6, 11, 21 and 25, and for FEC2 on OAR 5, 6 and 11. The proportion of genetic variance attributed to the top windows was 0.83% and 1.9% for FEC1 and FEC2, respectively. The 33 candidate genes shared between the two traits were subjected to enrichment analysis, revealing a marked enrichment in biological processes related to immune system functions. These results contribute to the understanding of the genetics underlying gastrointestinal parasite resistance and its implications for other productive and welfare traits in animal breeding programs.
Biology and Life Sciences, Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Zoology
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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