Molecular characterization of breeds and its use in conservation

The conservation of farm animal resources is important for coping with future breeding needs and for facilitating the sustainable use of marginal areas. The increasing availability of molecular markers for most farm animal species and the development of techniques to analyse molecular variation is widening our capacity to characterise the genetic variation of breeds. In this paper we review the most popular molecular markers used in conservation and animal breeding studies, the different measures of genetic diversity that they provide, and their application for managing within-breed genetic diversity and for setting between-breed conservation priorities. We also address the relationship between genomic and marker heterozygosity, the relationship between molecular and quantitative measures of genetic diversity, and the characterization of breeds based on non-neutral markers.     

群内遗传多样性在畜禽保种中的应用

畜禽遗传资源的保存对应对未来的育种需要和畜牧业的可持续利用是非常重要的。分子标记广泛应用于大多数畜禽品种及分子变异分析技术的发展,促进了分析品种遗传变异的能力。作者对用于度量畜禽遗传资源的群内遗传多样性评价方法及其在确定种内遗传多样性,以及保种方案中的应用进行了综述。     

家畜基因组遗传多态标记—微卫星标记研究进展(下)

３微卫星标记的应用自微卫星被发现以来就受到了家畜遗传育种家们的高度重视,并且充分认识到了把它作为畜种的基因组变异研究所具有的巨大的潜在价值。现在它已被十分成功地作为富含信息、又容易获得的基因标记,广泛用于构建物种的遗传连锁图,基因鉴定（基因诊断）、物...     

分子标记技术在野生动物保护研究中的应用

中国野生动物资源丰富,然而野生动物的保护目前仍较多使用一些宏观保护策略和描述性研究手段,对其保护和评价的分子研究却相对落后。分子标记作为第四代遗传标记,自建立以来,以其多方面的优势在野生动物保护研究领域得到了越来越广泛的应用。本文介绍了限制性片段长度多态性、随机扩增多态性、扩增片段长度多态性和微卫星等分子标记的基本原理及其优缺点,综述了分子标记技术在野生动物种群遗传结构、亲缘关系和系统分类、遗传图谱构建和基因定位、物种鉴定和个体识别等方面的应用和研究概况,同时对应用前景进行了展望：分子标记技术在今后的野生动物保护研究中发挥的作用将会更加明显。     

基于高通量测序技术的山羊遗传多样性及其生产性状研究进展

近年来,高通量测序技术的规模化应用及生物信息技术的普及,极大地推动了家畜基因组学的发展,实现了分子育种标记全基因组水平的快速、精准定位,为全基因组选择育种奠定了重要基础。数千年来的驯化和选择,形成了用途多样的山羊品种,如乳用、皮用、绒用及肉用等,为人类提供了丰富的生产和生活资料。国内外学者采用高通量测序技术对山羊的遗传多样性及生产性能的遗传机制进行了研究,以期找到与山羊种质特性相关的基因,从而为山羊的遗传改良提供新的标记。作者对近五年来基于高通量测序技术研究山羊的遗传多样性和产绒、产奶、繁殖等生产性状的研究进展进行了综述,以期为评估山羊优良种质特性和与生产性状相关的优异基因定位的工作提供参考。     

Research Progress on Goat Genetic Diversity and Production Traits Based on High-throughput Sequencing Technology

Recently, the widespread use of high-throughput sequencing technology and the development of bioinformatics have been greatly contributed to the development of farm animal genomics. Whole genome-wide analysis can facilitate the fine mapping of the molecular markers related to the production traits quickly and accurately, thus providing an important theoretical basis for genome selection breeding. Several thousand years of domestication and artificial selection produce many modern goat breeds with high production of milk, fiber, and meat, which become abundant production and living materials for human populations. Researchers have studied the genetic diversity and molecular mechanisms of production traits in goats using high-throughput sequencing technology, in order to identify candidate genes related to the excellent germplasm reliable markers for genetic improvement. In this review, we summarized the five-year research progress on the genetic diversity and production traits of goats including fiber, milk production and reproduction traits, mainly based on high-throughput sequencing technology. This paper provides a reference for the evaluation of the excellent goat genetic resources and the investigation of production trait related genes.     

DNA分子标记与动物遗传育种

DNA分子标记技术的出现,对动物遗传育种产生了深远的影响,利用DNA标记可以研究动物整个基因组水平的遗传变异,进行动物遗传资源研究、标记辅助选择、标记辅助导入、杂种优势预测、选配、品种与品系确认、构建高分辨率遗传连锁图谱、QTL搜寻定位等。目前在动物遗传中广泛使用的标记主要有mtDNA、RFLP、RAPD、AFLP、SSR、SNP和EST标记。本文综述了这些标记技术的原理、特点,并根据其特点,分析其在动物遗传育种中的应用,并通过维普数据库搜索比较分析研究者对各种技术的使用情况。     

Research opportunities in the field of animal genetic resources

Animal genetic resources are those animal species that are used, or may be used, for the production of food and agriculture, and the populations within each of them. The working unit of a database for farm animal genetic resources is the breed, a term taken in its widest possible sense to mean a population within the species, possessing a number of particular traits that permit the grouping of these animals under a common label and are associated to geographical areas and human groups. Research opportunities cover a wide range of thematic areas. The biggest gap in knowledge is animal breeding for local populations in harsh environments. There is also a lack of research in functional genetics and genomics of adaptation and disease resistance traits. By comparison, breed characterization, in particular molecular characterization, has been a more popular research subject. The same can be said for conservation, although some fundamental questions on genetic diversity and risk of its loss are still unanswered. Research is required to understand the socio-economic, infrastructural, technical and formal constraints that limit the operation of sustainable conservation programs in less developed countries. Information systems on animal genetic resources need input from research and data capture networks, in order to achieve a reasonable degree of completeness. Economic analysis and issues related to gene flow and access and benefit sharing should also profit from more research.     

分子遗传标记与家畜育种进展

分子遗传标记随着分子遗传学和分子生物技术的发展而成为当今研究的热点,并广泛用于家畜群体遗传变异分析、标记辅助选择、基因定位、标记-QTL连锁分析、杂种优势预测、个体亲缘鉴定、遗传距离分析等,本文拟就RFLP、RAPD、VNTR和mtDNA等分子遗传标记研究及其在家畜育种上的应用作一综述。     

Progress of genome wide association study in domestic animals

ABSTRACT: Domestic animals are invaluable resources for study of the molecular architecture of complex traits. Although the mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) responsible for economically important traits in domestic animals has achieved remarkable results in recent decades, not all of the genetic variation in the complex traits has been captured because of the low density of markers used in QTL mapping studies. The genome wide association study (GWAS), which utilizes high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), provides a new way to tackle this issue. Encouraging achievements in dissection of the genetic mechanisms of complex diseases in humans have resulted from the use of GWAS. At present, GWAS has been applied to the field of domestic animal breeding and genetics, and some advances have been made. Many genes or markers that affect economic traits of interest in domestic animals have been identified. In this review, advances in the use of GWAS in domestic animals are described.     

遗传标记的研究进展

生物化学和分子生物学的快速发展使用于育种的遗传标记经历了不同的发展阶段，本文对不同的遗传标记进行了较详尽的分类和描述。     

The use of genetic modification technologies in the discovery of genes affecting production traits and disease resistance in animals

Genetic modification technologies, developed initially in laboratory strains of selected bacteria and viruses, are essential tools for understanding the genomes of livestock. These tools allow researchers to: isolate, sequence and characterise any livestock gene; locate genes on chromosomes; follow the inheritance of any gene and/or chromosomal region in any pedigree; detect phenotypic variation due to, or associated with, variation in the DNA sequence of a gene and identify the genetic alteration causing this. Most of the many thousands of genes identified in livestock vary between individuals. Finding the best type of the key genes affecting animal productivity is an exciting and a daunting task. It is only possible with the use of laboratory-based genetic modification techniques. This review will briefly describe the technologies now in use and, using local examples, show how molecular geneticists are using these to help identify genetic alterations and breed healthier or more productive animals. As with any new technology, a new language evolves to describe new products and processes. The new language makes communication easier between participants in the field but more difficult for others to understand the technology. A glossary of terms has therefore been added to this review to help readers less familiar with molecular genetics.     

中国地方鸭遗传资源的分子评估与保护利用

论文从分子遗传学的角度对鸭的遗传资源在群体遗传多样性、群体起源、进化及构建遗传图谱等多个方面的评估进行综述,并对分子遗传标记技术在鸭遗传资源的保护利用上的应用进行概述,以期通过现代动物分子育种技术加快鸭的育种进程。     

EST-SSR标记的开发及在动物研究中的应用

近年来大量ESTs数据的出现已成为开发SSR标记的重要来源。EST-SSR作为一种新型的分子标记, 不仅具备传统基因组SSR标记的特点, 而且以其开发经济和通用性高等优势已在植物和动物中得到开发和应用。作者就EST-SSR标记特点，开发步骤及在动物中的应用和发展前景进行了综述。     

Alpharma Beef Cattle Nutrition Symposium: nutrition and the genome

It has long been appreciated that animals fed the same diet may perform differently. This is due to the ability of nutrients to interact with and affect molecular pathways that result in differences in BW gain, production performance, or disease resistance. To understand these effects, studies are being undertaken to discover how the differential expression and function of genes occur with different diets. These studies are using new technologies, genomic resources, and analysis techniques that have recently become available for domestic animals. Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics are new research approaches that strive to optimize health by looking beyond the diet to understand the effects of food at the genetic and epigenetic levels. Nutrigenomics is focused on the effects of diet on health through an understanding of how bioactive chemicals in foods and supplements alter gene expression or the structure of the genome of an animal. Nutrigenetics focuses on how the genetic composition (i.e., genetic variation) of an animal influences their response to a given diet. Results from these studies will aid in formulating nutritionally appropriate diets that may be optimized for animals based on their genomic underpinnings. Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics unite many fields: nutrition, bioinformatics, molecular biology, genomics, functional genomics, epidemiology, and epigenomics. The use of multi-disciplinary tools promises new opportunities to investigate the complex interactions of the genome and the diet of an animal. Through these new approaches, the partnerships of the genome and nutrition will be revealed resulting in improved efficiency of diets, enhanced sustainability of animals as a protein source, and improved methods for preventing illnesses.     

利用ACGM和EST-SSR标记对云贵高原野生山蚂蝗属种质的遗传多样性分析

山蚂蝗属野生种质是一个具有巨大经济价值的资源。本研究利用基于基因表达序列数据库开发的２种分子标记ＡＣＧＭ 和ＥＳＴ ＳＳＲ 共８５对引物对山蚂蝗属９个种４６个野生种质资源进行多样性分析。结果显示,ＡＣＧＭ引物中有扩增产物的引物比例为８６．４９％,远高于ＥＳＴ ＳＳＲ 引物的５４．１７％。同时,ＡＣＧＭ 的多态性比率也大于ＥＳＴ-ＳＳＲ,可见ＡＣＧＭ 在山蚂蝗属野生种质中的转移性优于ＥＳＴ-ＳＳＲ。通过ＡＣＧＭ 和ＥＳＴ ＳＳＲ 分析得到的遗传相似性系数为０．５２３～０．９６７,平均相似系数为０．７０３,这表明山蚂蝗属野生种质资源间存在较高的遗传多样性。此外,ＡＣＧＭ 分析能有效区分４６ 个山蚂蝗属种质基因型,而ＥＳＴ-ＳＳＲ 只能区分绝大多数山蚂蝗属基因型。在ＵＰＧＭＡ 聚类图上４６个供试材料被分成９组,与传统分类结果不完全一致。说明基于禾本科和豆科基因表达序列开发的分子标记能用于山蚂蝗属植物的遗传分析,同时这也为其他野生种质资源的遗传多样性研究提供了有益的借鉴。     

芯片技术在畜禽育种中的应用研究进展

中国畜禽品种资源丰富,且有许多优良性状基因,但这些优良性状基因并没有被充分利用,因此,在基因水平上开展遗传资源的开发和利用是畜禽经济性状改良的重要方向。目前,虽然传统系谱选择方法在育种工作中发挥了重要作用,但存在准确率低、育种周期长等缺点。随着分子生物学技术的快速发展,近年来先进的基因组测序和基因分型技术大大促进了畜禽育种方法的革新。从低通量、耗时的限制性片段多态标记（RFLP）到如今高通量、高密度的单核苷酸多态性（SNP）标记,基因检测效率有了大幅度提高。基因芯片技术在分子标记辅助选择和全基因组选择育种研究中逐渐得到广泛应用,成为畜禽育种的新技术手段和新热点。主要介绍了高、低密度SNP芯片技术在畜禽育种中的研究及应用,并简述了其技术优势、存在问题及挑战、应用展望,旨在表明基因芯片技术必将会成为畜禽分子育种工作中一项重要的基础技术,在畜禽种业快速发展过程中起到重要的推动作用,以期为基因芯片技术在畜禽育种中得到进一步应用提供理论参考,推进中国畜禽育种遗传进展,提升中国畜禽种业的科技竞争力。     

畜禽保种最小群体规模的确定

本文详细论述了目前家畜品种资源保存的重要性和实践中常用的两种保种策略研究进展,并针对不同的保种方法提出了确定家畜保种最小群体规模的理论依据。     

黄牛Y染色体分子遗传多样性研究进展

Y染色体分子遗传多样性是追溯动物起源、驯化历史和迁徙路线的重要工具,也可以用来反映动物的父系遗传多样性及用于研究群体间父系介导的杂交情况。Y染色体单倍型多样性可以分别通过Y染色体单核苷酸多态性(Y-SNP)和Y染色体微卫星多态性(Y-STR)或这二者结合起来构建精确的Y染色体单倍型。黄牛有3种父系起源(普通牛Y1、Y2和瘤牛Y3单倍型组),可以通过Y-SNP来区分,通过-STR标记可以区分Y1、Y2和Y3所具有的丰富的精细单倍型。本文汇集了包括中国在内的国内外黄牛Y染色体遗传多样性与起源进化的研究进展。     

Review on the development of genotyping methods for assessing farm animal diversity

Advances in molecular biotechnology have introduced new generations of molecular markers for use in the genetic improvement of farm animals. Consequently, more accurate genetic information can be obtained to better understand existing animal genetic resources. This review gives a brief summary on the development of genetic markers including both the classical genetic markers and more advanced DNA-based molecular markers. This review will help us better understand the characteristics of different genetic markers and the genetic diversity of animal genetic resources.