An Evolutionary Genomic Perspective on the Breeding of Dwarf Chickens

Ming-Shan Wang; Newton O Otecko; Sheng Wang; Dong-Dong Wu; Min-Min Yang; Yi-Long Xu; Robert W Murphy; Min-Sheng Peng; Ya-Ping Zhang

doi:10.1093/molbev/msx227

An Evolutionary Genomic Perspective on the Breeding of Dwarf Chickens

Mol Biol Evol. 2017 Dec 1;34(12):3081-3088. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msx227.

Authors

Ming-Shan Wang^{1

2}, Newton O Otecko^{1

2}, Sheng Wang³, Dong-Dong Wu^{1

2}, Min-Min Yang¹, Yi-Long Xu⁴, Robert W Murphy^{1

5}, Min-Sheng Peng^{1

2}, Ya-Ping Zhang^{1

2

6}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution & Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
² Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
³ Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
⁴ Xiaodu Veterinary Station in Tongnan District, Chongqing, China.
⁵ Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁶ State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.

PMID: 28961939
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx227

Abstract

The evolutionary history for dwarfism in chickens remains an enigma. Herein, we explore the evolution of the Serama, the smallest breed of chicken. Leveraging comparative population genomics, analyses identify several genes that are potentially associated with the growth and development of bones and muscles. These genes, and in particular both POU1F1 and IGF1, are under strong positive selection. Three allopatric dwarf bantams (Serama, Yuanbao, and Daweishan) with different breeding-histories, form distinct clusters and exhibit unique population structures. Parallel genetic mechanisms underlay their variation in body size. These findings provide insights into the multiple and complex pathways, depending on genomic variation, that chicken can take in response to aviculture selection for dwarfism.

Keywords: Serama; body size; chicken; dwarf; genome; selection.

MeSH terms

Animals
Biological Evolution
Breeding / methods
Chickens / genetics*
Dwarfism / genetics*
Genome / genetics
Genomics / methods
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Selection, Genetic / genetics*