Estimation of additive and dominant variance of egg quality traits in pure-line layers

Improved performances are partly due to heterosis effects. One of the basis of heterosis is dominance, which cannot be inherited.However, it can be exploited to boost the total genetic merit of the animals. This has a special interest in avian selection schemeswhere commercial animals are crossbred. In this study, we have estimated additive and dominance genetic variances for severalegg quality traits in pure-line layers.Around 10,500 egg quality performances were used, collected from 1,148 female Rhode Island layers, phenotyped at 70 weeksold and genotyped using a 600K high density SNP chip. Five egg quality traits were analysed: egg weight (EW), egg shell color(ESC), egg shell strength (ESS), albumen height (AH) and egg shell shape (ESShape). Additive and dominance genetic varianceswere estimated via EM-REML with univariate models. That included an inbreeding coefficient and an additive and a dominancerandom effect. Dominance variance explained a small fraction of the phenotypic variance (between 2 to 4 % across all traits).However, it represented a relevant fraction of the total genetic variance for some of the traits (16%, 10%, 35%, 2.4% and 15% ofthe total genetic variance for EW, ESC, ESS, AH, ESShape, respectively).Further research will estimate additive and dominance genetic correlations between the traits to maximize the total genetic gainof these traits simultaneously. In addition, a genomic BLUP with dominance effects is envisaged for the joint analyses of purebredand crossbred performances, to evaluate the potential to generate superior crossbred performances

Interest of Genotyping-by-Sequencing technologies as an alternative to low density SNP chips for genomic selection in layer chicken

To reduce the cost of genomic selection, low density SNP chip can be used in combination with imputation for genotyping the selection candidates instead of using high density (HD) SNP chip. Concurrently, next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques has been increasingly used in livestock species but remain expensive to be routinely used in selection. An alternative and costefficient solution is the Genotyping by Genome Reducing and Sequencing (GGRS) techniques to sequence only a fraction of the genome by using restriction enzymes. This approach was simulated from sequences of 1027 individuals in a pure layer line, using four enzymes (EcoRI, TaqI, AvaII and PstI). Imputation accuracy on HD genotypes was assessed as the mean correlation between true and imputed genotypes. Egg weight, egg shell color, egg shell strength and albumen height were evaluated with single-step GBLUP methodology. The impact of imputation errors on the genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) was also investigated.AvaII or PstI led to the detection of more than 10K SNPs in common with the HD SNP chip resulting in imputation accuracy higher than 0.97. The impact of imputation errors on the ranking of the selection candidates was reduced with Spearman correlation (between GEBV calculated on true and imputed genotypes) higher than 0.97 for AvaII and PstI. Finally, the GGRS approach can be an interesting alternative to low density SNP chip for genomic selection. However, with real data, heterogeneity between individuals with missing data has to be taken into account

Letter from Sarah Forrer, Dayton, OH to Augusta Bruen, 1862 July 6

Use of data from crossbred animals for a genomic evaluation of pure line layer. XIth European symposium on poultry genetics (ESPG

Etude du déséquilibre de liaison dans des lignées de poules de types génétiques "ponte" et "chair"

International audienceLa structure du déséquilibre de liaison (DL) au sein des populations en sélection impacte fortement la précision obtenue lors des études de cartographie de QTL ou lors de l'évaluation génomique des reproducteurs. Chez les oiseaux, la structure hétérogène du génome nécessite de décrire précisément le DL pour optimiser la sélection. L'utilisation des puces SNP haute densité pour le génotypage des populations de volailles est une opportunité pour approfondir notre connaissance de la structure du DL de ces populations. L'objectif de cette étude est d'acquérir une connaissance haute résolution de la structure du DL au sein de populations de poules de types ponte et chair. Nous avons analysé les génotypes (puce 600 K Affymetrix® Axiom® HD SNP) de 1541 animaux issus de 3 populations. L'étendue et le niveau du DL ont été estimés par le r 2 moyen à distance physique donnée entre SNP. Cette étude met en évidence des différences importantes de structure du DL entre lignées et entre chromosomes. L'étendue et le niveau du DL sont plus importants dans les lignées de type ponte ou pour les macro-chromosomes et le chromosome Z. Ce niveau important de DL peut faciliter la détection de QTL sur ces chromosomes, mais peut également compliquer la localisation fine de polymorphismes causaux. A l'inverse, le faible niveau de DL observé sur les micro-chromosomes nécessite l'utilisation d'une forte densité de SNP pour détecter une association avec un phénotype, mais devrait permettre la cartographie fine d'un polymorphisme causal. Ces différences sont à prendre en considération pour définir une stratégie de génotypage économique et efficace pour la cartographie fine de QTL ou l'évaluation génomique. ABSTRACT A Linkage disequilibrium study in layers and broiler commercial chicken populations. Knowledge of the linkage disequilibrium (LD) pattern is useful in animal genetic studies as it underlies mapping studies and genomic selection. This is all the more important in birds given the heterogeneous structure of the avian karyotype. Recently, the availability of the high density 600 K Affymetrix® Axiom® HD SNP genotyping array allowed to assess an in-depth knowledge of the LD pattern in chicken genome. The aim of the present study was to assess a higher resolution of the LD pattern in chicken genome in layer and broiler lines. In this study, we analyzed genotypes of 1541 animals from layers and broiler commercial populations to characterize their LD pattern. LD was measured by the average r 2 value at a given physical distance between SNP. LD extended over a larger region for layer lines than for broiler line. Most differences between lines appeared at small interval distances (< 0.5Mb). LD extent and decay differed considerably between chromosomes categories. Average r 2 values were higher for Z chromosome than for macro, intermediates and micro-chromosomes. The extent of useful LD observed for autosomal chromosomes was at least tenfold longer for layer lines than for broiler. Finally, this study shed light on high LD for Z chromosome. The differences in LD pattern observed between chromosomes and chicken lines should be taken into account to define an economically efficient genotyping strategy

Novel Insights into the Bovine Polled Phenotype and Horn Ontogenesis in Bovidae

Despite massive research efforts, the molecular etiology of bovine polledness and the developmental pathways involved in horn ontogenesis are still poorly understood. In a recent article, we provided evidence for the existence of at least two different alleles at the Polled locus and identified candidate mutations for each of them. None of these mutations was located in known coding or regulatory regions, thus adding to the complexity of understanding the molecular basis of polledness. We confirm previous results here and exhaustively identify the causative mutation for the Celtic allele (PC) and four candidate mutations for the Friesian allele (PF). We describe a previously unreported eyelash-and-eyelid phenotype associated with regular polledness, and present unique histological and gene expression data on bovine horn bud differentiation in fetuses affected by three different horn defect syndromes, as well as in wild-type controls. We propose the ectopic expression of a lincRNA in PC/p horn buds as a probable cause of horn bud agenesis. In addition, we provide evidence for an involvement of OLIG2, FOXL2 and RXFP2 in horn bud differentiation, and draw a first link between bovine, ovine and caprine Polled loci. Our results represent a first and important step in understanding the genetic pathways and key process involved in horn bud differentiation in Bovidae

Whole-genome analysis of introgressive hybridization and characterization of the bovine legacy of Mongolian yaks

The yak is remarkable for its adaptation to high altitude and occupies a central place in the economies of the mountainous regions of Asia. At lower elevations, it is common to hybridize yaks with cattle to combine the yak’s hardiness with the productivity of cattle. Hybrid males are sterile, however, preventing the establishment of stable hybrid populations, but not a limited introgression after backcrossing several generations of female hybrids to male yaks. Here we inferred bovine haplotypes in the genomes of 76 Mongolian yaks using high-density SNP genotyping and whole-genome sequencing. These yaks inherited ~1.3% of their genome from bovine ancestors after nearly continuous admixture over at least the last 1,500 years. The introgressed regions are enriched in genes involved in nervous system development and function, and particularly in glutamate metabolism and neurotransmission. We also identified a novel mutation associated with a polled (hornless) phenotype originating from Mongolian Turano cattle. Our results suggest that introgressive hybridization contributed to the improvement of yak management and breeding

Imbalanced Lignin Biosynthesis Promotes the Sexual Reproduction of Homothallic Oomycete Pathogens

Lignin is incorporated into plant cell walls to maintain plant architecture and to ensure long-distance water transport. Lignin composition affects the industrial value of plant material for forage, wood and paper production, and biofuel technologies. Industrial demands have resulted in an increase in the use of genetic engineering to modify lignified plant cell wall composition. However, the interaction of the resulting plants with the environment must be analyzed carefully to ensure that there are no undesirable side effects of lignin modification. We show here that Arabidopsis thaliana mutants with impaired 5-hydroxyguaiacyl O-methyltransferase (known as caffeate O-methyltransferase; COMT) function were more susceptible to various bacterial and fungal pathogens. Unexpectedly, asexual sporulation of the downy mildew pathogen, Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis, was impaired on these mutants. Enhanced resistance to downy mildew was not correlated with increased plant defense responses in comt1 mutants but coincided with a higher frequency of oomycete sexual reproduction within mutant tissues. Comt1 mutants but not wild-type Arabidopsis accumulated soluble 2-O-5-hydroxyferuloyl-l-malate. The compound weakened mycelium vigor and promoted sexual oomycete reproduction when applied to a homothallic oomycete in vitro. These findings suggested that the accumulation of 2-O-5-hydroxyferuloyl-l-malate accounted for the observed comt1 mutant phenotypes during the interaction with H. arabidopsidis. Taken together, our study shows that an artificial downregulation of COMT can drastically alter the interaction of a plant with the biotic environment

Détection et validation de marqueurs génétiques impliqués dans la qualité de la viande bovine.

Without routine measure of sensory meat quality, breeders and breeding companies wondered how taking advantage of the genetic variability of these traits at the molecular level. The purpose of the PHD was to cover all researches related to association studies between genetic polymorphisms and phenotypes recorded in the Qualvigène program. The aim is to offer breeders and breeding companies a set of genetic markers as selection criteria. Some SNP located in candidate genes were genotyped among 3,349 young bulls of the program (1,114 in the Charolais breed, 1,254 in the Limousin breed and 981 in the Blonde breed) but also among the 114 sires and most of the dams. In the literature and in functional genomic studies at INRA, these genes were shown to be associated with meat tenderness, marbling or growth. Association studies were performed for the traits of interest. Microsatellites have been used to perform a genome scan for 6 families among the Limousin and Blonde d'Aquitaine breeds in order to find chromosomal regions of interest. In 2010, the "Bovine SNP50®" Illumina high density chip was used in the Qualvigène program to fine-map QTL for meat quality. First results in the Blonde d'Aquitaine breed are available. Some QTL regions already detected by microsatellites were confirmed and more precisely located, while new ones were also located. Following this work, looking for causal mutations should lead to the implementation of a test kit to help targeting animals with a higher genetic merit for meat quality.En l'absence de mesures de routine des qualités sensorielles de la viande bovine, les éleveurs et les unités de sélection s'interrogent sur les possibilités d'exploiter la variabilité génétique de ces caractères au niveau moléculaire. La thèse consiste à réaliser les recherches relatives à l'analyse des associations entre polymorphismes génétiques et phénotypes enregistrés dans le programme Qualvigène. L'objectif est de proposer aux éleveurs et aux unités de sélection des marqueurs génétiques comme critères de sélection. Des SNP situés dans des gènes candidats ont été génotypés chez les 3349 Jeunes Bovins du programme (1114 en race Charolaise, 1254 en race Limousine et 981 en race Blonde d'Aquitaine) ainsi que chez les 114 pères et une majorité des mères. Ces gènes ont été mis en évidence pour leur association avec la tendreté, le persillé de la viande ou encore la croissance des animaux dans la bibliographie ou dans des études de génomique fonctionnelle à l'INRA. Des analyses d'association ont été effectuées. Un génome scan sur microsatellites dans 6 familles Limousine et Blonde d'Aquitaine a permis une primo-localisation peu précise de régions chromosomiques d'intérêt. En 2010, la puce Illumina "Bovine SNP50®" a été utilisée pour mettre en place une cartographie fine de QTL de qualité de la viande. Des premiers résultats en race Blonde ont permis de confirmer et de localiser plus finement des régions QTL détectées avec les microsatellites et aussi d'en localiser de nouvelles. La recherche de mutations causales devrait nous permettre de mettre en place un kit de détection des animaux présentant une supériorité génétique quant aux qualités organoleptiques de la viande

Détection et validation de marqueurs génétiques impliqués dans la qualité de la viande bovine

En l'absence de mesures de routine des qualités sensorielles de la viande bovine, les éleveurs et les unités de sélection s'interrogent sur les possibilités d'exploiter la variabilité génétique de ces caractères au niveau moléculaire. La thèse consiste à réaliser les recherches relatives à l'analyse des associations entre polymorphismes génétiques et phénotypes enregistrés dans le programme Qualvigène. L'objectif est de proposer aux éleveurs et aux unités de sélection des marqueurs génétiques comme critères de sélection. Des SNP situés dans des gènes candidats ont été génotypés chez les 3349 Jeunes Bovins du programme (1114 en race Charolaise, 1254 en race Limousine et 981 en race Blonde d'Aquitaine) ainsi que chez les 114 pères et une majorité des mères. Ces gènes ont été mis en évidence pour leur association avec la tendreté, le persillé de la viande ou encore la croissance des animaux dans la bibliographie ou dans des études de génomique fonctionnelle à l'INRA. Des analyses d'association ont été effectuées. Un génome scan sur microsatellites dans 6 familles Limousine et Blonde d'Aquitaine a permis une primo-localisation peu précise de régions chromosomiques d'intérêt. En 2010, la puce Illumina "Bovine SNP50®" a été utilisée pour mettre en place une cartographie fine de QTL de qualité de la viande. Des premiers résultats en race Blonde ont permis de confirmer et de localiser plus finement des régions QTL détectées avec les microsatellites et aussi d'en localiser de nouvelles. La recherche de mutations causales devrait nous permettre de mettre en place un kit de détection des animaux présentant une supériorité génétique quant aux qualités organoleptiques de la viandeWithout routine measure of sensory meat quality, breeders and breeding companies wondered how taking advantage of the genetic variability of these traits at the molecular level. The purpose of the PHD was to cover all researches related to association studies between genetic polymorphisms and phenotypes recorded in the Qualvigène program. The aim is to offer breeders and breeding companies a set of genetic markers as selection criteria. Some SNP located in candidate genes were genotyped among 3,349 young bulls of the program (1,114 in the Charolais breed, 1,254 in the Limousin breed and 981 in the Blonde breed) but also among the 114 sires and most of the dams. In the literature and in functional genomic studies at INRA, these genes were shown to be associated with meat tenderness, marbling or growth. Association studies were performed for the traits of interest. Microsatellites have been used to perform a genome scan for 6 families among the Limousin and Blonde d'Aquitaine breeds in order to find chromosomal regions of interest. In 2010, the "Bovine SNP50®" Illumina high density chip was used in the Qualvigène program to fine-map QTL for meat quality. First results in the Blonde d'Aquitaine breed are available. Some QTL regions already detected by microsatellites were confirmed and more precisely located, while new ones were also located. Following this work, looking for causal mutations should lead to the implementation of a test kit to help targeting animals with a higher genetic merit for meat qualityPARIS-AgroParisTech Centre Paris (751052302) / SudocSudocFranceF