Abstract
The lion head goose is one of the most important agricultural resources in China; however, its breeding process is relatively slow. In the present study, a genome-wide association study was performed for the genetic selection of egg production characters in lion head geese. We detected 30 single-nucleotide polymorphisms located in or near 30 genes that might be associated with egg production character, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to verify their expression level in lion head geese. The results showed that the expression levels of CRTC1 (encoding CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 1), FAAH2 (encoding fatty acid amide hydrolase 2), GPC3 (encoding glypican 3), and SERPINC1 (encoding serpin family C member 1) in high egg production population were significantly lower than those in the low egg production populations (*P < 0.05). The expression levels of CLPB (encoding caseinolytic peptidase B protein homolog), GNA12 (encoding guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit alpha-12), and ZMAT5 (encoding zinc finger, matrin type 5) in the high egg production population were significantly higher than those in the low egg production populations (*P < 0.05). The expression of BMP4 (encoding bone morphogenetic protein 4), FRMPD3 (encoding FERM and PDZ domain containing 3), LIF (encoding leukemia inhibitory factor), and NFYC (encoding nuclear transcription factor Y subunit gamma) in the high egg production population were very significantly lower than those in the low egg production population (**P < 0.01). Our findings provide an insight into the economic traits of lion head goose. These candidate genes might be valuable for future breeding improvement.
Highlights
The lion head goose is named for the sarcoma that makes it resemble a lion's head from the front
The egg production performance of lion head goose was divided into a high production group (>35 eggs per year) and a low production group (
Thirty single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) related to egg-producing traits were identified, and thirty genes located in or near SNPs were screened
Summary
The lion head goose is named for the sarcoma that makes it resemble a lion's head from the front. Lion head geese, whose ancestors are anser cygnoides, are herbivorous animals showing fast growth and large body size; as such, their feeding is relatively environment-friendly (Huang, 2009; He et al, 2012). They show low fertility with an average of 20–25 eggs per year (Zhang, 1991). Based on maintaining the characteristics of its original breeds, improving the low fecundity has become an important breeding objective of lion head goose, among which the egg laying characteristics are one of the most significant aspects (Wang et al, 2008). It is believed that egg production could be improved by adopting a modern genome-enhanced breeding scheme
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
