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Abstract Background Reference genomes are essential in the analysis of genomic data. As the cost of sequencing decreases, multiple reference genomes are being produced within species to alleviate problems such as low mapping accuracy and reference allele bias in variant calling that can be associated with the alignment of divergent samples to a single reference individual. The latest reference sequence adopted by the scientific community for the analysis of cattle data is ARS_UCD1.2, built from the DNA of a Hereford cow (Bos taurus taurus—B. taurus). A complementary genome assembly, UOA_Brahman_1, was recently built to represent the other cattle subspecies (Bos taurus indicus—B. indicus) from a Brahman cow haplotype to further support analysis of B. indicus data. In this study, we aligned the sequence data of 15 B. taurus and B. indicus breeds to each of these references. Results The alignment of B. taurus individuals against UOA_Brahman_1 detected up to five million more single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) compared to that against ARS_UCD1.2. Similarly, the alignment of B. indicus individuals against ARS_UCD1.2 resulted in one and a half million more SNVs than that against UOA_Brahman_1. The number of SNVs with nearly fixed alternative alleles also increased in the alignments with cross-subspecies. Interestingly, the alignment of B. taurus cattle against UOA_Brahman_1 revealed regions with a smaller than expected number of counts of SNVs with nearly fixed alternative alleles. Since B. taurus introgression represents on average 10% of the genome of Brahman cattle, we suggest that these regions comprise taurine DNA as opposed to indicine DNA in the UOA_Brahman_1 reference genome. Principal component and admixture analyses using genotypes inferred from this region support these taurine-introgressed loci. Overall, the flagged taurine segments represent 13.7% of the UOA_Brahman_1 assembly. The genes located within these segments were previously reported to be under positive selection in Brahman cattle, and include functional candidate genes implicated in feed efficiency, development and immunity. Conclusions We report a list of taurine segments that are in the UOA_Brahman_1 assembly, which will be useful for the interpretation of interesting genomic features (e.g., signatures of selection, runs of homozygosity, increased mutation rate, etc.) that could appear in future re-sequencing analysis of indicine cattle.

Abstract Background Since their domestication 10,500 years ago, goat populations with distinctive genetic backgrounds have adapted to a broad variety of environments and breeding conditions. The VarGoats project is an international 1000-genome resequencing program designed to understand the consequences of domestication and breeding on the genetic diversity of domestic goats and to elucidate how speciation and hybridization have modeled the genomes of a set of species representative of the genus Capra. Findings A dataset comprising 652 sequenced goats and 507 public goat sequences, including 35 animals representing eight wild species, has been collected worldwide. We identified 74,274,427 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 13,607,850 insertion-deletions (InDels) by aligning these sequences to the latest version of the goat reference genome (ARS1). A Neighbor-joining tree based on Reynolds genetic distances showed that goats from Africa, Asia and Europe tend to group into independent clusters. Because goat breeds from Oceania and Caribbean (Creole) all derive from imported animals, they are distributed along the tree according to their ancestral geographic origin. Conclusions We report on an unprecedented international effort to characterize the genome-wide diversity of domestic goats. This large range of sequenced individuals represents a unique opportunity to ascertain how the demographic and selection processes associated with post-domestication history have shaped the diversity of this species. Data generated for the project will also be extremely useful to identify deleterious mutations and polymorphisms with causal effects on complex traits, and thus will contribute to new knowledge that could be used in genomic prediction and genome-wide association studies.

Abstract Background Since goat was domesticated 10,000 years ago, many factors have contributed to the differentiation of goat breeds and these are classified mainly into two types: (i) adaptation to different breeding systems and/or purposes and (ii) adaptation to different environments. As a result, approximately 600 goat breeds have developed worldwide; they differ considerably from one another in terms of phenotypic characteristics and are adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions. In this work, we analyzed the AdaptMap goat dataset, which is composed of data from more than 3000 animals collected worldwide and genotyped with the CaprineSNP50 BeadChip. These animals were partitioned into groups based on geographical area, production uses, available records on solid coat color and environmental variables including the sampling geographical coordinates, to investigate the role of natural and/or artificial selection in shaping the genome of goat breeds. Results Several signatures of selection on different chromosomal regions were detected across the different breeds, sub-geographical clusters, phenotypic and climatic groups. These regions contain genes that are involved in important biological processes, such as milk-, meat- or fiber-related production, coat color, glucose pathway, oxidative stress response, size, and circadian clock differences. Our results confirm previous findings in other species on adaptation to extreme environments and human purposes and provide new genes that could explain some of the differences between goat breeds according to their geographical distribution and adaptation to different environments. Conclusions These analyses of signatures of selection provide a comprehensive first picture of the global domestication process and adaptation of goat breeds and highlight possible genes that may have contributed to the differentiation of this species worldwide.

Abstract Background Goat populations that are characterized within the AdaptMap project cover a large part of the worldwide distribution of this species and provide the opportunity to assess their diversity at a global scale. We analysed genome-wide 50 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from 144 populations to describe the global patterns of molecular variation, compare them to those observed in other livestock species, and identify the drivers that led to the current distribution of goats. Results A high degree of genetic variability exists among the goat populations studied. Our results highlight a strong partitioning of molecular diversity between and within continents. Three major gene pools correspond to goats from Europe, Africa and West Asia. Dissection of sub-structures disclosed regional gene pools, which reflect the main post-domestication migration routes. We also identified several exchanges, mainly in African populations, and which often involve admixed and cosmopolitan breeds. Extensive gene flow has taken place within specific areas (e.g., south Europe, Morocco and Mali-Burkina Faso-Nigeria), whereas elsewhere isolation due to geographical barriers (e.g., seas or mountains) or human management has decreased local gene flows. Conclusions After domestication in the Fertile Crescent in the early Neolithic era (ca. 12,000 YBP), domestic goats that already carried differentiated gene pools spread to Europe, Africa and Asia. The spread of these populations determined the major genomic background of the continental populations, which currently have a more marked subdivision than that observed in other ruminant livestock species. Subsequently, further diversification occurred at the regional level due to geographical and reproductive isolation, which was accompanied by additional migrations and/or importations, the traces of which are still detectable today. The effects of breed formation were clearly detected, particularly in Central and North Europe. Overall, our results highlight a remarkable diversity that occurs at the global scale and is locally partitioned and often affected by introgression from cosmopolitan breeds. These findings support the importance of long-term preservation of goat diversity, and provide a useful framework for investigating adaptive introgression, directing genetic improvement and choosing breeding targets.