Using genomics to understand the genetic architecture of tolerance to Aleutian disease in mink

利用基因组学了解水貂对阿留申病的耐受性遗传结构

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-06289
• 负责人: Miar, Younes
• 金额: $ 2.11万
• 依托单位: Dalhousie University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=763555
• 关键词: Using; genomics; understand; genetic; architecture

Aleutian disease (AD) caused by the Aleutian mink disease virus, is the most economically significant disease impacting mink (Neovison vison) production in Canada and worldwide. The costs of AD to the Canadian mink producers is over a million dollars annually in testing and loss of herds. Clinical outcomes following infection include reproductive failure, reduced growth performance and increased mortality. Although this disease has no vaccine or treatment, genetic variation in AD tolerance exists in mink due to the variability in their immune response to infection. Genomics technology provides tremendous opportunities to elucidate the biology of disease tolerance but the potential of this technology has not yet been investigated in mink health. The goals of this research program are to use genomics and bioinformatics approaches paired with analysis of immunity to advance our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying AD tolerance in mink. This research program will seek to (1) create the first genome assembly of mink using next generation sequencing and design a robust and reliable SNP assay for genomics discovery in mink, (2) discover genome structure and signature of selection as well as identify new genetic variants explaining variation in AD tolerance, and (3) identify the genetic relationships of AD tolerance with other economically important traits such as reproductive performance, fur quality, growth rate and pelt size. This work requires extensive data collection in the Canadian Centre for Fur Animal Research at Dalhousie Agriculture campus, which is the only mink research farm in Canada. The information gained in this program will contribute novel insights into genetic architecture of AD tolerance in mink and how this may impact mink health and productivity. The results of this research program will help to reduce the costs of AD to the Canadian mink farmers. Furthermore, results from these studies will be used to design and implement the similar methods to advance our understanding of other important diseases in mink and other animal species or human diseases such as Chediak-Higashi syndrome or deafness, which are prevalent on commercial mink farms. This program will generate highly qualified personnel capable of developing and applying innovative genomics and bioinformatics approaches of use in agriculture and the health sciences.

阿留申病(AD)由阿留申水貂病毒引起，是影响加拿大和世界水貂生产的最重要的经济疾病。对加拿大水貂生产商来说，AD每年在测试和牛群损失方面的成本超过100万美元。感染后的临床结果包括生殖障碍、生长性能下降和死亡率增加。虽然这种疾病没有疫苗或治疗方法，但由于水貂对感染的免疫反应不同，因此存在AD耐受性的遗传变异。基因组学技术为阐明疾病耐受性的生物学提供了巨大的机会，但这项技术的潜力尚未在水貂健康中得到调查。该研究计划的目标是利用基因组学和生物信息学方法，结合免疫分析，促进我们对水貂AD耐受的遗传机制的理解。这项研究计划将寻求(1)利用下一代测序技术创建第一个水貂基因组组合，并设计一种强大而可靠的SNP分析方法，用于水貂基因组学研究；(2)发现基因组结构和选择特征，并找出解释AD耐受性变异的新的遗传变异；(3)确定AD耐受性与其他重要经济性状(如繁殖性能、毛皮质量、生长速度和皮毛大小)的遗传关系。这项工作需要在达尔豪西农业园区的加拿大毛皮动物研究中心广泛收集数据，这是加拿大唯一的水貂研究农场。从这个项目中获得的信息将有助于对水貂AD耐受性的遗传结构以及这可能如何影响水貂的健康和生产力的新见解。这一研究项目的成果将有助于降低加拿大水貂养殖户的AD成本。此外，这些研究的结果将被用于设计和实施类似的方法，以促进我们对水貂和其他动物物种中的其他重要疾病或人类疾病的了解，如切迪亚克-东氏综合症或耳聋，这些疾病在商业水貂养殖场中很普遍。该计划将培养高素质的人才，能够开发和应用农业和健康科学中使用的创新基因组学和生物信息学方法。