Driven by natural and artificial selection, the domestic Huoyan geese from Northern China have gradually generated specific phenotypes and climatic adaptations. To understand the genetic basis of the two specific phenotypes that are sex linked, including upper eyelid coloboma and gosling feather color,
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Driven by natural and artificial selection, the domestic Huoyan geese from Northern China have gradually generated specific phenotypes and climatic adaptations. To understand the genetic basis of the two specific phenotypes that are sex linked, including upper eyelid coloboma and gosling feather color, as well as the climatic adaptations of the Huoyan goose, which can contribute to the artificial selection and breeding of geese. We selected Huoyan geese and nine Southern Chinese goose breeds and identified their divergence on the genomic level. Using selective sweep analysis, we found that
PTPRM on chromosome Z influences the upper eyelid coloboma phenotype of the Huoyan goose, and
TYRP1 is a plausible candidate gene for the Huoyan gosling feather color. We obtained a number of genes related to cold adaptation in Huoyan geese, mainly involved in physiological functions such as metabolism, angiogenesis contraction and circulatory system, apoptosis, immunity, stress, and neural system. The most interesting candidates for cold adaptation are
PIP5K1B and
NMNAT3 that are associated with energy metabolism and stress. We also obtained some genes related to heat adaptation, including
AGTPBP1, associated with neurology;
GDA, associated with skin pigmentation; and
NAA35, associated with apoptosis. These findings deepen our understanding of the genetics of specific phenotypes and climate adaptation in local geese and provide insights for the selection of goose breeds.
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