Population Structure and Selection Signatures of Domestication in Geese

Abstract

The goose is an economically important poultry species and was one of the first to be domesticated. However, studies on population genetic structures and domestication in goose are very limited. Here, we performed whole genome resequencing of geese from two wild ancestral populations, five Chinese domestic breeds, and four European domestic breeds. We found that Chinese domestic geese except Yili geese originated from a common ancestor and exhibited strong geographical distribution patterns and trait differentiation patterns, while the origin of European domestic geese was more complex, with two modern breeds having Chinese admixture. In both Chinese and European domestic geese, the identified selection signatures during domestication primarily involved the nervous system, immunity, and metabolism. Interestingly, genes related to vision, skeleton, and blood-O2 transport were also found to be under selection, indicating genetic adaptation to the captive environment. A forehead knob characterized by thickened skin and protruding bone is a unique trait of Chinese domestic geese. Interestingly, our population differentiation analysis followed by an extended genotype analysis in an additional population suggested that two intronic SNPs in EXT1, an osteochondroma-related gene, may plausibly be sites responsible for knob. Moreover, CSMD1 and LHCGR genes were found to be significantly associated with broodiness in Chinese domestic geese and European domestic geese, respectively. Our results have important implications for understanding the population structure and domestication of geese, and the selection signatures and variants identified in this study might be useful in genetic breeding for forehead knob and reproduction traits.

Evaluation of Genetic Diversity and Agronomic Traits of Germplasm Resources of Stropharia rugosoannulata

“…The results of the genetic population analysis showed that there was significant genetic variation among strains. The genetic differentiation of germplasm often exhibits a notable correlation with geographic origins [58][59][60]. Previous studies on wheat germplasm resources, while not differentiating local varieties based on their specific origins, intriguingly classified local varieties from the same area into corresponding groups and clusters, aligning closely with the outcomes of this research [61].…”

Transcriptome Profiling Unveils Key Genes Regulating the Growth and Development of Yangzhou Goose Knob

“…China is the world's largest goose-raising country, with production reaching 4.29 million tons in 2021 [2]. Apart from the Ili goose, the origin of Chinese geese can be traced 2 of 16 back to the Swan goose (Anser cygnoides), with 30 different local breeds [3]. Compared with European geese, Chinese geese have more slender necks.…”