Whole Genome Resequencing Reveals the Genetic Basis of Desert Arid Climate Adaptation in Lop Sheep.

ABSTRACT: The Lop sheep (LOP), a unique local breed from Xinjiang, exhibits remarkable resilience to the harsh conditions of a desert arid climate and frequent sandstorms, alongside notable fecundity characteristics. This study aims to investigate the adaptability of LOP within this challenging environment by collecting whole blood samples from 110 LOP individuals in the Lop Nur region of Xinjiang for genome resequencing. The resulting data will be compared with whole genome resequencing information from 22 local sheep breeds worldwide to analyze the origin and evolution of LOP. Additionally, comparisons will be made with HUS sheep from warm and humid regions to identify genomic differences through selection signal analysis, thereby assessing the impact of a desert arid climate on the extreme living

SUBMITTER: Yang C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12466512 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature