Identifying selection signatures associated with production traits in Matou goats using whole-genome sequencing

Abstract

Abstract Investigating the genetic attributes of indigenous goat breeds is crucial for their conservation and breeding. The Matou goat, a valued native breed of Southern China, is characterized by high meat quality and reproductive efficiency, representing an important genetic resource for livestock production. Its genetic basis underlying productive traits remains unclear at the whole-genome level. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate its genomic diversity and selection signatures with whole-genome sequencing (WGS), in order to provide a basis for its future conservation and breeding. Population structure analyses, including principal component analysis, phylogenetic tree construction, and admixture analysis, revealed that the 128 sampled individuals could be divided into two subgroups. One subgroup exhibited greater genetic diversity, as reflected by higher heterozygosity and lower inbreeding coefficients, along with a higher frequency of private alleles indicative of a more closed breeding history. The slower linkage disequilibrium decay observed in this subgroup suggests it has undergone stronger selection. By integrating Fst, XP‑CLR, and XP‑EHH analyses, we identified 215 genes within 306 candidate regions under selection. Several of these genes (ARHGAP31, CHURC1, ITGA11, and GFOD1) harbor variants that overlap with QTLs and are associated with production traits in livestock. These findings provide a basis for conservation and breeding of the Matou goat.