A Population Genomics Analysis of the Native Irish Galway Sheep Breed

Frontiers in Genetics

Michael J. Dover¹  Erik Scraggs¹  David A. Magee¹  Gillian P. McHugo¹  Sam Browett¹  Carolina N. Correia¹  Michael P. Mullen²  James P. Hanrahan²  Dawn J. Howard²  Stephen D. E. Park³  Ian W. Richardson³  Imtiaz A. S. Randhawa⁴  David E. MacHugh⁵ 

[1] Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland;Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Athenry, Ireland;IdentiGEN Ltd., Blackrock Business Park, Dublin, Ireland;Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW, Australia;UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland;

关键词: at-risk breed;    conservation genomics;    genetic diversity;    inbreeding;    livestock;    selection signature;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fgene.2019.00927

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The Galway sheep population is the only native Irish sheep breed and this livestock genetic resource is currently categorised as ‘at-risk’. In the present study, comparative population genomics analyses of Galway sheep and other sheep populations of European origin were used to investigate the microevolution and recent genetic history of the breed. These analyses support the hypothesis that British Leicester sheep were used in the formation of the Galway. When compared to conventional and endangered breeds, the Galway breed was intermediate in effective population size, genomic inbreeding and runs of homozygosity. This indicates that, although the Galway breed is declining, it is still relatively genetically diverse and that conservation and management plans informed by genomic information may aid its recovery. The Galway breed also exhibited distinct genomic signatures of artificial or natural selection when compared to other breeds, which highlighted candidate genes that may be involved in production and health traits.

【 授权许可】

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