Enhancing production in mink through advanced genomics

通过先进的基因组学提高水貂产量

• 批准号: 520503-2017
• 负责人: Miar, Younes
• 金额: $ 14.55万
• 依托单位: Dalhousie University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=697605
• 关键词: Enhancing; production; mink; through; advanced

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.

加在一起，加拿大和美国的水貂产业每年为北美经济增加超过40亿美元，仅加拿大经济就增加10亿美元。加拿大毛皮业在全国创造了大约6万个就业机会，北美是世界第四大毛皮出口国。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(估计每年增长6000万美元)。到目前为止，在北美收集这些数据以进行水貂选择既困难又昂贵。如果没有对水貂育种者遗传背景的良好了解，这些新的特征就不能被纳入育种计划。水貂基因组目前正在测序，这将创造出相当数量的单核苷酸多态，可用于水貂基因组研究。该项目将收集3000只动物的表型数据，这些数据可用于基因组研究。这将通过达尔豪西大学和加拿大水貂饲养者协会的合作实现。在这个项目中，将对这些性状的基因组选择的潜力进行评估。这些性状的基因组选择(GS)将提高遗传获得率，从而为水貂行业带来更多利润，就像其他畜牧业所证明的那样。此外，该项目中确定的基因可能为标记辅助选择(MAS)计划提供新的机会。因此，本项目的目标是评估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，以培育出优质、高效和健康的动物。该项目将培养高素质的人员，能够开发和应用创新的基因组学和生物信息学方法，用于农业，特别是水貂行业。这种做法将有助于改善加拿大水貂行业的整体表现，由于毛皮价格下降和饲料成本高等几个经济因素，加拿大水貂行业目前陷入困境。