ArticleJournal of animal science and biotechnology2025
Fine mapping genetic variants affecting birth weight in sheep: a GWAS of 3007 individuals using low-coverage whole genome sequencing.
Article in Journal of animal science and biotechnology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Low-Coverage Whole-Genome Resequencing in Livestock and Poultry: Statistical Foundations, Applications and Future Directions.Biology · 2026Review
- Low-Coverage Whole-Genome Sequencing Identifies Loci Associated with Birth Weight in East Friesian × Hu Crossbred Sheep.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Causal variants in animal genomes: approaches to identification, phenotypic impact, and implications for selective breeding.BMC genomics · 2026Review
- Decoding Complex Traits in Goats Through Genome-Wide Association Studies: Progress, Challenges, and Perspectives.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Identification of cis-regulatory elements provides insights into tissue-specific gene regulation in the sheep genome.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Identification ofFrontiers in veterinary science · 2026Article
- From markers to mechanisms: a comprehensive review of major genes and quantitative trait loci shaping the modern sheep (Frontiers in genetics · 2026Review
- Host Genetic Effects and Phenotypic Landscapes of Rumen Bacterial Enterotypes in a Large Sheep Population.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBirth weight is a critical economic trait in livestock production. However, its genetic architecture remains poorly understood due to historical limitations in sample size and reliance on low-density SNP arrays. In this study, we utilized low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (lcWGS) to genotype 3,007 Hu sheep, bypassing the cost and resolution constraints of conventional genotyping arrays while achieving scalable genome-wide variant detection.
resultsLcWGS with high imputation accuracy (97.8% allelic concordance) enabled genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identifying two novel quantitative trait loci (QTLs) on chromosomes 6 and 9. The chromosome 9 QTL encompassed a regulatory region functionally linked to PLAG1 expression through expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping. Compared with wild-type homozygotes, heterozygous carriers of the lead SNP (chr9:g.35920172A > G) presented a 9.85% increase in birth weight (3.35 kg vs. 3.68 kg; Δ = 0.33 kg). Notably, the derived allele of this SNP exhibited low frequencies of < 0.1 across most global sheep breeds except Dorper, highlighting its potential for selective breeding applications. Leveraging lcWGS data, haplotype-based fine-mapping prioritized three candidate causal variants. A secondary QTL on chromosome 6 colocalized with the FecB mutation, a well-established locus associated with increased litter size. Intriguingly, individuals carrying one FecB allele showed a 6.18% reduction (0.22 kg) in birth weight, which tentatively indicates potential pleiotropic influences on both growth and reproductive traits.
conclusionThis study demonstrates the utility of lcWGS as a cost-effective, high-resolution tool for dissecting complex traits in livestock. Our findings not only advance the understanding of birth weight genetics in sheep but also offer a blueprint for accelerating genetic improvement programs in global livestock production through cost-effective, genome-wide approaches.
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