Whole genome SNP panels for genotyping experimental chicken lines- a vital BBSRC resource

鸡的DNA序列弥合了以前任何其他动物都没有覆盖的进化鸿沟，早在3.1亿年前就与哺乳动物分享了共同的祖先。就像对老鼠的遗传学研究一样，鸡也可能提供关于重要基因的重要进化数据，以及它们如何影响抗病和健康等方面的东西。只有当动物之间的遗传差异达到最大程度时，才有可能识别出这些品质。我们现在正在进入家畜研究的遗传学时代，这是因为最近公布了鸡的基因组序列，以及公开可用的北京基因组研究所数据库中的300多万只鸡基因组的遗传变异资源。然而，这些遗传变异产生的数据只来自三种动物--一只典型的蛋鸡、一只典型的肉鸡和一只中国乌骨鸡。虽然这是一个非常有价值的工具，但人们对不同品种的鸡内部和之间的遗传变异水平知之甚少，特别是那些用于科学研究和商业育种者的鸡。动物卫生研究所(IAH)在开发了解农场动物宿主-病原体关系的方法方面在欧洲处于领先地位。IAH饲养的近交系鸡是BBSRC的重要资源，整个欧盟的研究中心都在使用这种资源。这10个不同的鸡系是在过去30年中选择性培育和收集的大量数据，是独特的遗传资源，为了解重要性状的遗传基础提供了能力。由于这些鸡系大多来自蛋鸡，它们将只包含特定于该品系的变异。我们的目标是筛选两个超过6000个变异的小组，并确定一组变异用于每个自交系的比较研究。使用这些遗传标记，我们将能够通过分析相关品系的遗传杂交来定位独特的性状。这项申请中提出的工作将产生的工具和资源可以用来填补这一知识空白，使识别重要性状的基因成为一个可行的目标。每个近交系鸡的一套遗传变异资源的可获得性将提供遗传工具，支持家禽基因组学的进步，并通过科学研究向消费者交付结果。对这些近交系鸡的比较在回答免疫学问题时也可能非常重要，包括一些对人类健康特别重要的话题，如禽流感。此外，获得鸡基因组遗传变异的高密度图谱将为理解和利用复杂性状的遗传控制提供巨大的机会，从而造福于家禽群、英国家禽业、消费者和环境。

The chicken DNA sequence bridges the evolutionary gap not previously covered by any other animal, sharing a common ancestor with mammals as long as 310 million years ago. Like genetic studies in mice, the chicken may also provide important evolutionary data on vital genes and how they influence such things as disease resistance and health. Identifying these qualities is only possible when the full extent of genetic differences between animals is available. We are now entering the genetic era of livestock research, made possible by the recent publication of the genome sequence of the Chicken, and the resource of over 3 million genetic variations for the chicken genome in the publicly available Beijing Genomics Institute database. However, the data generated for these genetics variants is from only three animals - a 'typical' layer chicken, a 'typical' broiler chicken and a Chinese Silkie chicken. Although this is a very valuable tool, little is known about the level of genetic variation within and between different breeds of chicken, particularly those used in scientific research and by commercial breeders. The Institute for Animal Health (IAH) is pre-eminent in Europe in its ability to develop approaches to understand host-pathogen relationships in farm animals. The inbred chicken lines housed at IAH are a vital BBSRC-resource used by research centres throughout the EU. The 10 different chicken lines have been selectively bred and vast amounts of data collected over the past 30 years and are unique genetic resources that provide the ability to understand the genetic basis for important traits. As most of these chicken lines are of layer origin they will only contain variations that are specific that line. Our aim is to screen two panels of over 6000 variations and determine a set of variants to be used for comparative studies in each of the inbred lines. Using these genetic markers we will then be able to map traits unique by analysis of genetic crosses of the relevant lines. The tools and resources that will result from the work proposed in this application can be used to fill this knowledge gap, making the identification of genes for important traits a feasible goal. The accessibility of resources for a set of genetic variations for each of the inbred chicken lines will provide genetic tools that will support advances in poultry genomics and enable delivery of results through scientific research to the consumer. Comparisons of these inbred chicken lines may also be very important in answering immunological questions, including some topics of particular importance for human health, such as avian influenza. Furthermore, accessibility of high density maps for genetic variation in the chicken genome will provide enormous opportunities to understand and exploit the genetic control of complex traits to the benefit of poultry flocks, the UK poultry industry, the consumer and the environment.