Search

Animal domestication and artificial selection give rise to gradual changes at the genomic level in populations. Subsequent footprints of selection known as selection signatures or selective sweeps have been traced in the genomes of many animal livestock species by exploiting variations in linkage disequilibrium patterns and/or reduction of genetic diversity.Domestication of most aquatic species is recent in comparison with land animals, and salmonids are one of the most important fish species in aquaculture. Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), cultivated primarily in Chile, has been subject to breeding programs to improve growth, disease resistance traits, and flesh color. This study aimed to identify selection signatures that may be involved in adaptation to culture conditions and traits of productive interest. To do so, individuals of two domestic populations cultured in Chile were genotyped with 200 thousand SNPs, and analyses were conducted using iHS, XP-EHH and CLR. Several signatures of selection on different chromosomal regions were detected across both populations. Some of the identified regions under selection contained genes such anapc2, alad, chp2 and myn that have been previously associated with body weight in Atlantic salmon or sec24d and robo1 that have been associated with disease resistance to Piscirickettsia salmonis in coho salmon. Findings in our study can contribute to an integrated genome-wide map of selection signatures, to help identify the genetic mechanisms of phenotypic diversity in coho salmon.

Nile tilapia belongs to the second most cultivated group of fish in the world, mainly because of its favorable characteristics for production. Genetic improvement programs and domestication process of Nile tilapia may have modified the genome through selective pressure, leaving signals that can be detected at the molecular level. In this work, signatures of selection were identified using genome-wide SNP data, by two haplotype-based (iHS and Rsb) and one FST based method. Whole-genome re-sequencing of 326 individuals from three strains (A, B and C) of farmed tilapia maintained in Brazil and Costa Rica was carried out using Illumina HiSeq 2500 technology. After applying conventional SNP-calling and quality-control filters, ~ 1.3 M high-quality SNPs were inferred and used as input for the iHS, Rsb and FST based methods. We detected several candidate genes putatively subjected to selection in each strain. A considerable number of these genes are associated with growth (e.g. NCAPG, KLF3, TBC1D1, TTN), early development (e.g. FGFR3, PFKFB3), and immunity traits (e.g. NLRC3, PIGR, MAP1S). These candidate genes represent putative genomic landmarks that could be associated to traits of biological and commercial interest in farmed Nile tilapia.

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the second most important farmed fish in the world and a sustainable source of protein for human consumption. Several genetic improvement programs have been established for this species in the world. Currently, the estimation of genetic merit of breeders is typically based on genealogical and phenotypic information. Genome-wide information can be exploited to efficiently incorporate traits that are difficult to measure into the breeding goal. Thus, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are required to investigate phenotype–genotype associations and determine the genomic basis of economically important traits. We performed de novo SNP discovery in three different populations of farmed Nile tilapia. A total of 29.9 million non-redundant SNPs were identified through Illumina (HiSeq 2500) whole-genome resequencing of 326 individual samples. After applying several filtering steps, including removing SNP based on genotype and site quality, presence of Mendelian errors, and non-unique position in the genome, a total of 50,000 high-quality SNPs were selected for the development of a custom Illumina BeadChip SNP panel. These SNPs were highly informative in the three populations analyzed showing between 43,869 (94%) and 46,139 (99%) SNPs in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium; 37,843 (76%) and 45,171(90%) SNPs with a minor allele frequency (MAF) higher than 0.05; and 43,450 (87%) and 46,570 (93%) SNPs with a MAF higher than 0.01. The 50K SNP panel developed in the current work will be useful for the dissection of economically relevant traits, enhancing breeding programs through genomic selection, as well as supporting genetic studies in farmed populations of Nile tilapia using dense genome-wide information.

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is one of the most cultivated and economically important species in world aquaculture. Intensive production promotes the use of monosex animals, due to an important dimorphism that favors male growth. Currently, the main mechanism to obtain all-male populations is the use of hormones in feeding during larval and fry phases. Identifying genomic regions associated with sex determination in Nile tilapia is a research topic of great interest. The objective of this study was to identify genomic variants associated with sex determination in three commercial populations of Nile tilapia. Whole-genome sequencing of 326 individuals was performed, and a total of 2.4 million high-quality bi-allelic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified after quality control. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify markers associated with the binary sex trait (males = 1; females = 0). A mixed logistic regression GWAS model was fitted and a genome-wide significant signal comprising 36 SNPs, spanning a genomic region of 536 kb in chromosome 23 was identified. Ten out of these 36 genetic variants intercept the anti-Müllerian (Amh) hormone gene. Other significant SNPs were located in the neighboring Amh gene region. This gene has been strongly associated with sex determination in several vertebrate species, playing an essential role in the differentiation of male and female reproductive tissue in early stages of development. This finding provides useful information to better understand the genetic mechanisms underlying sex determination in Nile tilapia.