Abstract
Italian autochthonous turkey breeds are an important reservoir of genetic biodiversity that should be maintained with an in vivo approach. The aim of this study, part of the TuBAvI national project on biodiversity, was to use run of homozygosity (ROH), together with others statistical approaches (e.g., Wright’s F-statistics, principal component analysis, ADMIXTURE analysis), to investigate the genomic diversity in several heritage turkey breeds. We performed a genome-wide characterization of ROH-rich regions in seven autochthonous turkey breeds, i.e., Brianzolo (Brzl), Bronzato Comune Italiano (BrCI), Bronzato dei Colli Euganei (CoEu), Parma e Piacenza (PrPc), Nero d’Italia (NeIt), Ermellinato di Rovigo (ErRo) and Romagnolo (Roma). ROHs were detected based on a 650K SNP genotyping. ROH_islands were identified as homozygous ROH regions shared by at least 75% of birds (within breed). Annotation of genes was performed with DAVID. The admixture analyses revealed that six breeds are unique populations while the Roma breed consists in an admixture of founder populations. Effective population size estimated on genomic data shows a numeric contraction. ROH_islands harbour genes that may be interesting for target selection in commercial populations also. Among them the PTGS2 and PLA2G4A genes on chr10 were related to reproduction efficiency. This is the first study mapping genetic variation in autochthonous turkey populations. Breeds were genetically different among them, with the Roma breed proving to be a mixture of the other breeds. The ROH_islands identified harboured genes peculiar to the selection that occurred in heritage breeds. Finally, this study releases previously undisclosed information on existing genetic variation in the turkey species.
Highlights
According to historical evidence, turkey domestication originated in Mexico and Central America
The proportion of monomorphic SNPs was variable according to breed, spanning from 21% (NeIt) to 77% in Ermellinato di Rovigo (ErRo) (Table 1)
This study showed that the genetic composition of each of the seven autochthonous turkey breeds differs from others
Summary
Turkey domestication originated in Mexico and Central America. After the Spanish conquerors brought the turkeys to Europe, the novelty and the appreciated meat characteristics permitted a rapid spread across Europe, starting from the 16th century. Since their diffusion in Europe, turkey populations were bred divergently in the centuries [1]. The heritage populations, own unique characteristics making them especially valuable for their capability to adapt to harsh environments and to resist diseases [3]. Their reduced body size with respect to commercial hybrids, is suited for local traditional Italian cuisine
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