Abstract
The Beijing You chicken is a Chinese native breed with superior meat quality and a unique appearance. The G/T mutation of SNP rs80659072 in the Shh long-range regulator of GGA2 is highly associated with the polydactyly phenotype in some chicken breeds. In the present study, this SNP was genotyped using the TaqMan detection method, and its association with the number of toes was analyzed in a flock of 158 birds of the Beijing You population maintained at the Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences. Furthermore, the skeletal structure of the digits was dissected and assembled in 113 birds. The findings revealed that the toes of Beijing You chickens were rich and more complex than expected. The plausible mutation rs80659072 in the zone of polarizing activity regulatory sequence (ZRS) in chickens was an essential but not sufficient condition for polydactyly and polyphalangy in Beijing You chickens. Several individuals shared the T allele but showed normal four-digit conformations. However, breeding trials demonstrated that the T allele could serve as a strong genetic marker for five-toe selection in Beijing You chickens.
Highlights
The Beijing You chicken is an ancient native Chinese chicken breed that originated in the Qing Dynasty in Beijing, China
Beijing You chicken is known for its high-quality meat and eggs and unique appearance [1, 2], which includes a crest on the head, a beard under the lower jaw, and feathers on both shanks (Fig 1)
This study was performed in accordance with the animal welfare guidelines of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (Permit number: 2015-YJ-03)
Summary
The Beijing You chicken is an ancient native Chinese chicken breed that originated in the Qing Dynasty in Beijing, China. Beijing You chicken is known for its high-quality meat and eggs and unique appearance [1, 2], which includes a crest on the head, a beard under the lower jaw, and feathers on both shanks (Fig 1). Individuals of this breed may possess five or more toes on one or both feet (polydactyly), a characteristic exhibited by the Houdan, Dorking and Silkie breeds [3, 4]. In China, native customers prefer chickens with unique appearance characteristics.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
