Animal Molecular Breeding, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 19-28 http://animalscipublisher.com/index.php/amb 22 4 Genomic Resources for Goose Domestication Studies 4.1 Assembly and annotation of reference genomes In recent years, researchers have constructed high-quality chromosomal level reference genomes of multiple goose breeds, including Lion-head geese, Tianfu geese and Hungarian White geese, with the aid of localization techniques such as PacBio, Bionano and Hi-C. The establishment of these genomes is helpful for identifying and annotating a lot of important genetic information, such as tens of thousands of protein-coding genes, some gene families that have been magnified or reduced, as well as the number of repetitive sequences and chromosome structure, etc. The genomic coverage of Lion-head reached 97.27%, and more than 21 000 protein-coding genes were identified by consensus. 19 550 genes and 286 miRNAs were found in the genome of the Hungarian white goose, laying a solid foundation for subsequent functional studies and evolutionary analyses (Li et al., 2020; Zhao et al., 2023; Zhou et al., 2024b). 4.2 Whole-genome resequencing and SNP panels Whole-genome resequencing technology is mainly used in the research of various geese to analyze genetic diversity, population structure and selection signals related to domestication. Researchers resequenced hundreds of individuals of multiple breeds such as white geese and gray geese and identified tens of thousands of SNPS, some of which were related to economic traits such as growth, reproduction, immunity and feather color of geese (Zheng et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2023; Chen et al., 2024). Scientists have identified SNP loci significantly associated with important traits such as body weight through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Selective clearance analysis discovered some candidate genes related to breed characteristics. 4.3 Comparative genomics with other domesticated birds By comparing the genomes of geese with those of other domestic fowls, such as ducks and landfowl, researchers have discovered evolutionary differences between species, gene family expansion and some unique adaptive features. The analysis by Lu et al. (2015) and Zhao et al. (2023) revealed that geese and ducks began to differentiate approximately 28 million years ago, and geese showed significant amplification in some gene families related to metabolism, immunity, and life in water (Figure 2). The genetic composition of geese in terms of disease resistance, fat metabolism and certain domestication characteristics is also different from that of other birds. Lu et al.'s research in 2015 suggested that the deletion of the lep gene in geese might be related to their special energy storage capacity and migratory behavior. 5 Genetic Basis of Domestication Traits 5.1 Candidate genes for domestication-related traits The EXT1 gene is related to the specific forehead tumor structure of Chinese domestic geese. The CSMD1 and LHCGRgenes are respectively related to the brooding behaviors of Chinese geese and European geese. TGFBR3L, CMYA5, FOXD1, ARHGEF28 and SUCLG2, etc. are closely related to the growth rate, reproductive capacity and reproductive performance of geese. KIT and EDNRB2 are two key genes in terms of feather color. KIT has an 18-base deletion mutation and EDNRB2 has a 14-base insertion mutation. Both of these mutations are closely related to the characteristics of white feathers (Wen et al., 2021; Jing et al., 2022). GATA3 is related to meat quality, Sloc2a1 is related to reproduction, and PTPRMand TYRP1 are respectively related to eyelid structure and feather color (Chen et al., 2023; Zhang et al., 2023; Chen et al., 2024). 5.2 Regulatory elements and gene expression changes During the domestication process of geese, the ways of gene regulation and the patterns of gene expression have all changed in the nervous system, immune system and metabolic pathways. The selection signals that emerged in these pathways indicate that geese gradually adapted to the captive environment during domestication. Genes related to vision, bone development and blood oxygen transport have also shown a trend of being selected. These regulatory changes may be the key reasons for the emergence of various phenotypic characteristics and differences in adaptability in geese after domestication, such as in aspects like climate adaptation, stress response and reproductive capacity (Jing et al., 2022; Chen et al., 2023; Wen et al., 2023).
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