Elucidating the genetic basis of earlobe color in Qingyuan partridge chickens through genomics and metabolomics.

ABSTRACT: The earlobe color trait is a significant characteristic in chickens, exhibiting notable genetic diversity. Elucidating the mechanism of inheritance of the earlobe color trait would be beneficial in promoting genetic improvement with this phenotypic trait and would help in breed identification. Current research mainly hypothesizes that pigment deposition may underlie the phenotypic differences in earlobe color, with few studies exploring the molecular genetic mechanisms from the perspective of metabolomic differences. In this study, we selected Qingyuan Partridge chicken exhibiting both red and white earlobe traits as our subjects. By combining histological, metabolomic, and genomic approaches, we aim to identify the primary factors governing the formation of these two earlobe colorations.

SUBMITTER: Liu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12275115 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature