Genome-wide association and functional annotation analyses reveal candidate genes and pathways associated with various ewe longevity indicators in U.S. Katahdin sheep.

ABSTRACT: Ewe longevity indicators are complex traits that are lowly heritable, expressed late in life, and sex-limited, making them challenging to include in breeding programs. In this context, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) can provide more information on the complex genetic control of these traits. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to carry out association analyses for 8 longevity-related traits in 12,734 Katahdin ewes. A total of 126 associations at the chromosome-wide level and 3 at genome-wide level were found. These associations involved 86 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located across 22 chromosomes, with 24 of these SNPs associated with two or more traits. The variants overlapped with genes previously associated with prolificacy (APOH, NLRP9,

SUBMITTER: Pinto LFB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12267044 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature