Gene function & annotation

Targeted deep sequencing of GOT1, TNNI2, and RPL27A identifies candidate causal variants associated with Wooden Breast

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Abstract

Wooden Breast (WB) and White Stripping (WS) are prevalent myopathies observed in modern commercial broiler chickens, causing significant economic losses for poultry producers worldwide. WB and WS are phenotypically characterized by palpable firmness and fatty white striations in the breast muscle, respectively, and often occur in conjunction. Histologically, the presence and severity levels of phlebitis, myositis, myofiber degeneration, and foam cell accumulation are attributed to WB in the Pectoralis (p.) major muscle. Previous Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) has reported several candidate genes associated with WB and WS. Here, we report an association study employing amplicon sequencing on three of the reported candidate genes, GOT1, TNNI2, and RPL27A, using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT). Our study included a total of 103 samples for GOT1 and TNNI2, and 304 samples for RPL27A from commercial broilers necropsied at 14-17 days post-hatch. Samples of p. major muscles were evaluated for phlebitis, myositis, myofiber degeneration, and foam cell accumulation as histological sub-phenotypes, which exhibited varying positive correlations. Principal component analysis was performed to capture phenotypic variability across these four sub-phenotypes. DNA isolated from blood samples was PCR-amplified to cover approximately 5kb target regions spanning each gene and its upstream regulatory regions. A total of 180 SNPs were detected across three candidate genes, and corresponding variant effects were annotated. Linear association analysis of identified SNPs against normalized PCs identified four QTLs across three genes with suggestive associations (p-value T; GRCg6a) region was associated with PC2, which primarily captures the variance of foam cell accumulation. Foam cells (lipid-laden macrophages) are a pathological feature previously linked to altered energy metabolism in WB. This study represents the first association analysis of WB based on its histopathological sub-phenotypes and identifies candidate variants associated with specific pathological features rather than overall disease severity. However, the functional and causal relationships of the QTLs with WB remain unknown.

Keywords: 2026

How to Cite:

Kabir, S., Winzig, M., Belotte, A. & Abasht, B., (2026) “Targeted deep sequencing of GOT1, TNNI2, and RPL27A identifies candidate causal variants associated with Wooden Breast”, World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Digital Archive 2026(1): 2286836. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.24140

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