%0 Journal Article
%T Genome-Wide Association Study of H/L Traits in Chicken
%J Animals | An Open Access Journal from MDPI
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9050260
%X Presently, the heterophil-to-lymphocyte (H/L) ratio is being studied extensively as a disease resistance trait. Through intricate mechanisms to identify and destroy pathogenic microorganisms, heterophils play a pivotal role in the immune defense systems of avian species. To reveal the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms affecting the H/L ratio, phenotypic and H/L data from 1650 white feather chicken broilers were used in performing a genome-wide association study. A self-developed, chicken-specific 55K chip was used for heterophils, lymphocytes, and H/L classification, according to individual genomic DNA profiles. We identified five significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) when the genome-wide significance threshold was set to 5% ( p < 2.42 ¡Á 10 £¿6). A total of 15 SNPs obtained seemingly significant levels ( p < 4.84 ¡Á 10 £¿5). Gene annotation indicated that CARD11 (Caspase recruitment domain family member 11), BRIX1 (Biogenesis of ribosomes BRX1), and BANP (BTG3 associated nuclear protein) play a role in H/L-associated cell regulation and potentially constitute candidate gene regions for cellular functions dependent on H/L ratios. These results lay the foundation for revealing the genetic basis of disease resistance and future marker-assisted selection for disease resistance. View Full-Tex
%U https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/5/260