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Genomic variation in Pekin duck populations developed in three different countries as revealed by whole‐genome data
Author(s) -
Zhang Z.,
Jia Y.,
Chen Y.,
wang L.,
Lv X.,
Yang F.,
He Y.,
Ning Z.,
Qu L.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
animal genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2052
pISSN - 0268-9146
DOI - 10.1111/age.12639
Subject(s) - biology , indel , population , genetics , genome , selection (genetic algorithm) , evolutionary biology , genetic variation , genomics , single nucleotide polymorphism , gene , genotype , demography , artificial intelligence , sociology , computer science
Summary It is well known that both British and American Pekin ducks originated from China. However, the populations differ substantially in production performance, but the genetic changes involved are still poorly understood. Herein, we sequenced 24 individual Pekin ducks (eight from each population) with an average sequencing depth of more than 45× for each population (mean coverage of 6.29 per individual). Among these populations from three different countries, we identified a large number of SNP s and indels as well as many unique population variants, which can be used as population‐specific molecular markers. Genomic comparisons among the three duck populations revealed many candidate genes as well as pathways and Gene Ontology categories that are putatively associated with meat yield in the British population, growth in the American population and brain development in all three populations. These findings will enable a better understanding of the artificial selection history of Pekin ducks and provide a valuable resource for future research on the breeding of this species.