| Abstrakt: |
Selective signatures provide information about the stages of evolution of different species, including sheep, which lead to changes in their genome over many years. The aim of this study was to detect signatures of selection in the genome of Iranian sheep in the highlands. A total of 58 sheep from 4 breeds, two breeds scattered in the highlands and two breeds scattered in the lowlands, were genotyped using Illumina ovine SNP600K BeadChip genomic arrays. Two statistical tests of unbiased FST (Theta) and hapFLK were used to identify the selection signatures. The results of Theta revealed 22 genomic regions and the results of hapFLK revealed 15 genomic regions. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that many of genes had important effects on adaptation to hypoxia conditions e.g. rheumatoid arthritis (TXNDC5), hematopoiesis (FANCA), immunity and fighting infection (LEF1, NMUR1, PTMA and COPS7B), regulating blood pressure and responding to pain and inflammation (NMUR1) and suppressing cancer (CD82, GAS8, PRMT1, B3GNT7). For example, TXNDC5 and FANCA functional genes, which are located on chromosome 13 and 14, were related to reacts to hypoxic conditions and hematopoiesis. Also, genes such as LEF1, NMUR1, PTMA and COPS7B are effective in immunogenicity and fighting infection. Study of the reported QTL in these regions of the sheep genome showed that they overlapped with QTL of economically important traits such as corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, traits related to meat, carcass, milk, body weight, bone density, and the total number of lambs born. Due to the fact that little research has been done regarding adaptation to altitude in sheep, the results of this research may facilitate the identification of genes affecting adaptation to altitude. However, it will be necessary to carry out more association and functional studies to demonstrate the implication of these genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
