Enhancing production in mink through advanced genomics

加起来，加拿大和美国的水貂业每年为北美经济增加40多亿美元，仅加拿大经济就增加了10亿美元。加拿大皮草产业在全国约有6万个工作岗位，北美是世界第四大皮草出口国。通过改善北美水貂育种项目中重要的经济性状，如饲料效率、生长速度、繁殖性能、体型和毛皮质量，这种经济也可以增长（估计每年6000万美元）。迄今为止，在北美收集水貂选择的这些数据既困难又昂贵。对水貂育种者来说，如果不了解它们的遗传背景，就不能将这些新性状纳入育种计划。目前正在对水貂基因组进行测序，这将产生相当数量的单核苷酸多态性，可用于水貂的基因组研究。该项目将收集3000只动物的表型数据，用于基因组研究。这将通过达尔豪斯大学和加拿大水貂饲养者协会之间的合作来实现。在本项目中，将对这些性状的基因组选择潜力进行评估。这些性状的基因组选择（GS）将提高遗传增益率，从而为水貂行业带来更多利润，这在其他畜牧业中得到了证明。此外，该项目所鉴定的基因可以为标记辅助选择（MAS）程序提供新的机会。因此，本项目的目的是评估GS和MAS在水貂生产系统中的潜力，并开发实施遗传/基因组选择的工具，以开发优质、高效和健康的动物。该项目将培养能够开发和应用创新基因组学和生物信息学方法的高素质人才，这些方法可用于农业，特别是水貂工业。这种方法将有助于改善加拿大水貂行业的整体表现，由于几个经济因素，如毛皮价格下降和饲料成本高企，加拿大水貂行业目前处于困境。

Together, the mink industry in Canada and the United States add more than $4 billion to the North American economy each year, and $1 billion to the Canadian economy alone. The Canadian fur industry accounts for approximately 60,000 jobs across the country and North America is the fourth largest exporter of fur in the world. This economy can also grow (by an estimated $60 million annually) by improving economically important traits in North American mink breeding programs such as feed efficiency, growth rates, reproductive performance, body size and fur quality. To date, it has been both difficult and expensive to collect these data for mink selection in North America. These novel traits for mink breeders cannot be integrated into the breeding programs without good knowledge of their genetic backgrounds. The mink genome is now being sequenced and this will create a considerable number of single nucleotide polymorphisms that can be used for genomic studies in mink. The project will collect phenotypic data on 3,000 animals that can be used for genomic studies. This will be achieved by partnership between Dalhousie University and the Canada Mink Breeders Association. In this project, the potential of genomic selection for these traits will be evaluated. Genomic selection (GS) for these traits would increase the rate of genetic gain resulting in more profit for the mink industry as demonstrated in other livestock industries. In addition, the genes identified in the project could provide new opportunities for marker-assisted selection (MAS) program. Therefore, the objective of this project is to assess the potential of GS and MAS in mink production systems and develop the tools for implementation of genetic/genomic selection for the development of superior, high efficient and healthy animals. This project will generate highly qualified personnel capable of developing and applying innovative genomics and bioinformatics approaches of use in agriculture industry especially in the mink industry. This approach will help improve the overall performance of the Canadian mink industry, which is currently in difficulty, due to several economic factors such as declining fur prices and high feed costs.