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Advances in Sheep Genetic Breeding
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Advances in Sheep Genetic Breeding

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Genetics and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2023) | Viewed by 4593

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Youji Ma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
Interests: sheep and goat breeding; sheep and goat reproduction; genomics; rumen microbiology; sheeep and goat production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pengcheng Wan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi, China
Interests: germplasm resource; gene editing technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sheep are one of the most important domesticated animals, and fast growth, high lambing, good meat quality, and top-quality wool and cashmere have become the main goals pursued by their breeders. With the rapid development and application of modern molecular biology and genetic engineering, a large number of suitable new germplasm resources have been discovered, a large number of functional genes have been mined, and gene editing technology, stem cell breeding technology, breed molecular design technology, and other biological breeding techniques have been applied, promoting major breakthroughs in sheep breeding theory and breeding technology. To better demonstrate and exchange information around new theories, technologies, and methods in the field of sheep breeding, this Special Issue on “Advances in Sheep Genetic Breeding” is established, which will collect high-quality original research articles and reviews to promote scientific and technological innovation in sheep germplasm resources.

Prof. Dr. Youji Ma
Dr. Pengcheng Wan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Genes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • germplasm resource
  • functional genomics
  • genome-wide selection
  • gene editing
  • breeding theory

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2280 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Analysis of Sheep Artificially or Naturally Infected with Gastrointestinal Nematodes
by Jacob W. Thorne, Reid Redden, Scott A. Bowdridge, Gabrielle M. Becker, Morgan R. Stegemiller and Brenda M. Murdoch
Genes 2023, 14(7), 1342; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14071342 - 26 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1098
Abstract
The anthelmintic resistance of gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) poses a significant threat to sheep worldwide, but genomic selection can serve as an alternative to the use of chemical treatment as a solution for parasitic infection. The objective of this study is to conduct genome-wide [...] Read more.
The anthelmintic resistance of gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) poses a significant threat to sheep worldwide, but genomic selection can serve as an alternative to the use of chemical treatment as a solution for parasitic infection. The objective of this study is to conduct genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Rambouillet (RA) and Dorper × White Dorper (DWD) lambs associated with the biological response to a GIN infection. All lambs were genotyped with a medium-density genomic panel with 40,598 markers used for analysis. Separate GWASs were conducted using fecal egg counts (FECs) from lambs (<1 year of age) that acquired their artificial infections via an oral inoculation of 10,000 Haemonchus contortus larvae (n = 145) or naturally while grazing on pasture (n = 184). A GWAS was also performed for packed cell volume (PCV) in artificially GIN-challenged lambs. A total of 26 SNPs exceeded significance and 21 SNPs were in or within 20 kb of genes such as SCUBE1, GALNT6, IGF1R, CAPZB and PTK2B. The ontology analysis of candidate genes signifies the importance of immune cell development, mucin production and cellular signaling for coagulation and wound healing following epithelial damage in the abomasal gastric pits via H. contortus during GIN infection in lambs. These results add to a growing body of the literature that promotes the use of genomic selection for increased sheep resistance to GINs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sheep Genetic Breeding)
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16 pages, 6774 KiB  
Article
Regulatory Effects of FGF9 on Dermal Papilla Cell Proliferation in Small-Tailed Han Sheep
by Qi Jia, Shuangshuang Zhang, Dan Wang, Jianqiang Liu, Xinhui Luo, Yu Liu, Xin Li, Fuliang Sun, Guangjun Xia and Lichun Zhang
Genes 2023, 14(5), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14051106 - 18 May 2023
Viewed by 1198
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is crucial for the growth and development of hair follicles (HFs); however, its role in sheep wool growth is unknown. Here, we clarified the role of FGF9 in HF growth in the small-tailed Han sheep by [...] Read more.
Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is crucial for the growth and development of hair follicles (HFs); however, its role in sheep wool growth is unknown. Here, we clarified the role of FGF9 in HF growth in the small-tailed Han sheep by quantifying FGF9 expression in skin tissue sections collected at different periods. Moreover, we evaluated the effects of FGF9 protein supplementation on hair shaft growth in vitro and FGF9 knockdown on cultured dermal papilla cells (DPCs). The relationship between FGF9 and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was examined, and the underlying mechanisms of FGF9-mediated DPC proliferation were investigated. The results show that FGF9 expression varies throughout the HF cycle and participates in wool growth. The proliferation rate and cell cycle of FGF9-treated DPCs substantially increase compared to that of the control group, and the mRNA and protein expression of CTNNB1, a Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway marker gene, is considerably lower than that in the control group. The opposite occurs in FGF9-knockdown DPCs. Moreover, other signaling pathways are enriched in the FGF9-treated group. In conclusion, FGF9 accelerates the proliferation and cell cycle of DPCs and may regulate HF growth and development through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sheep Genetic Breeding)
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12 pages, 1839 KiB  
Article
PLAG1 g.8795C>T Mutation Regulates Early Body Weight in Hu Sheep by Weakening miR-139 Binding
by Yue Wang, Yin-xia Li, Jun Zhang, Yong Qian, Chun-hua Meng, Ji-feng Zhong and Shao-xian Cao
Genes 2023, 14(2), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14020467 - 11 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1083
Abstract
Sheep birth and weaning weights indicate their growth and survival. Thus, identifying molecular genetic markers for early body weight is important in sheep breeding. Pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) is important for regulating birth weight and body length in mammals; however, [...] Read more.
Sheep birth and weaning weights indicate their growth and survival. Thus, identifying molecular genetic markers for early body weight is important in sheep breeding. Pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) is important for regulating birth weight and body length in mammals; however, its relationship with sheep body weight remains unknown. Here, the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of the Hu sheep PLAG1 gene was cloned, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were screened, genotype–early body weight relationships were analyzed, and the possible molecular mechanism was explored. PLAG1 3′-UTR sequences with five forms of base sequences plus poly(A) tails were detected in Hu sheep and the g.8795C>T mutation was identified. Luciferase reporter assay indicated that the g.8795C>T mutation influenced PLAG1 post-transcriptional activity. miRBase prediction showed that the g.8795C>T mutation was located in the miR-139 seed sequence binding region, and miR-139 overexpression significantly decreased both PLAG1-CC and PLAG1-TT activities. Moreover, the luciferase activity of PLAG1-CC was significantly lower than that of the PLAG1-TT, but miR-139 inhibition substantially increased both PLAG1-CC and PLAG1-TT luciferase activities, suggesting that PLAG1 is the target gene of miR-139. Thus, the g.8795C>T mutation upregulates PLAG1 expression by weakening its binding with miR-139, promoting PLAG1 expression, and increasing Hu sheep birth and weaning weights. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Sheep Genetic Breeding)
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