Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (12): 6159-6166.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2025.12.019

• ANIMAL GENETICS AND BREEDING • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The Evaluation of Conservation Efficacy and Population Genetic Diversity in Huoyan Geese (Wulong Geese) Based on Whole-Genome Resequencing

TENG Xingyi1, WANG Baowei1,2, ZHANG Ming'ai1,2, KONG Min1,2, SHU Yindong3, WANG Fenghao4, JIANG Yajing1, LU Xiu1, HUAI Zhifang1, ZANG Yuting1, HUANG Luyu1, FAN Wenlei1,2*   

  1. 1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China;
    2. Institute of High Quality Waterfowl, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China;
    3. Dongchuan District Center for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming 654100, China;
    4. Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Laixi, Qingdao 266600, China
  • Received:2025-04-21 Published:2025-12-24

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity and inbreeding status of the Huoyan geese (Wulong geese) conservation population using whole-genome resequencing, evaluate the effectiveness of current germplasm conservation strategies, and provide actionable insights for future breeding programs. A total of 40 male Huoyan geese (Wulong geese) were randomly selected from the Shandong Provincial Conservation Farm for whole-genome resequencing. Subsequent analyses included assessments of genetic diversity, population genetic structure, and runs of homozygosity (ROH). The results showed that: a total of 40 slit-eyed geese (Wulong geese) were sequenced with an average depth of 13×, and 13 251 291 SNP loci were identified after quality control. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) of this conservation population was 0.264, the average observed heterozygosity (Ho) was 0.323, and the average expected heterozygosity (He) was 0.327, with an inbreeding coefficient (F) of 0.012. LD decay analysis showed that the maximum R2 value was 0.47, with a decay distance of 162 kb. A total of 309 runs of homozygosity (ROH) were detected in the Huoyan Goose (Wulong Goose) conservation population. The inbreeding coefficient (FROH) calculated based on ROH was 0.009, indicating a low level of inbreeding within the population. The results of the IBS distance matrix and G matrix showed simi-lar trends, with only a small proportion of individuals exhibiting close kinship. Principal component analysis (PCA) and neighbor-joining (NJ) clustering analysis further confirmed that the conservation population was generally in a dispersed state. Overall, the genetic diversity of the Huoyan goose (Wulong goose) conservation population surveyed in Laiyang was favorable, with a low level of inbreeding, indicating effective conservation efforts.

Key words: Huoyan goose, conservation efficacy, whole-genome resequencing, genetic diversity, inbreeding

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