The idiosyncratic genome of Korean long-tailed chicken as a valuable genetic resource
Dong-Jae Youm,
Byung June Ko,
Donghee Kim,
Myeongkyu Park,
Sohyoung Won,
Young Ho Lee,
Bongsang Kim,
Donghyeok Seol,
Han-Ha Chai,
Dajeong Lim,
Choongwon Jeong,
Heebal Kim
Affiliations
Dong-Jae Youm
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
Byung June Ko
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
Donghee Kim
School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
Myeongkyu Park
Interdisciplinary Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
Sohyoung Won
Interdisciplinary Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; eGnome, Inc, Seoul 05836, Republic of Korea
Young Ho Lee
Interdisciplinary Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
Bongsang Kim
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; eGnome, Inc, Seoul 05836, Republic of Korea
Donghyeok Seol
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
Han-Ha Chai
Animal Genomics & Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA 1500, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
Dajeong Lim
Animal Genomics & Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, RDA 1500, Wanju 55365, Republic of Korea
Choongwon Jeong
School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Corresponding author
Heebal Kim
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; Interdisciplinary Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea; eGnome, Inc, Seoul 05836, Republic of Korea; Corresponding author
Summary: Today, breeds with ornamental traits such as exceptionally long tail feathers are economically valuable. However, the genetic basis of long-tail feathers is yet to be understood. To provide better understanding of long tail feathers, we sequenced Korean long-tailed chicken (KLC) genomes and compared them with genomes of other chicken breeds. We first analyzed the genome structure of KLC and its genomic relationship with other chickens and observed unique characteristics. Subsequently, we searched for genomic regions under selection. Feather keratin 1-like enriched region and several genes were found to have novel putative functions and effects on the long tail trait in KLC. Our findings support the value of KLC as a unique genetic resource and cast light on the genetic basis of long tail traits in avian species. We expect this novel knowledge to provide new genomic evidence and options for designing and implementing genetic improvements of ornamental chicken productivity through precision crossbreeding aids.
