For the first time in the world, researchers at the MÉK Center for Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology of the University of Debrecen use DNA chip technology during the genetic screening of domestic pigeons, the new analytical method that is of great help in the genetic exploration of species. The research results were recently published in the Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences.
DNA chip technology is a cost-effective tool developed for the genetic analysis of farm animals, with which up to one hundred thousand mutation points of several individuals can be examined at the same time. Debrecen University.
– Thanks to the new approach, the horizon of genetic research of species has expanded by orders of magnitude, as the chip doubles the number of genetic polymorphisms that can be examined in pigeons.
By exploring these, it becomes possible to improve the performance of meat species and racing pigeons, and to understand the genetic background of traits of interest from the point of view of other species as well. The information can also be used effectively in animal husbandry and gene reserve protection, according to Zoltán Bagi, scientific fellow at the Agricultural Genomics and Biotechnology Center (AGBK) of DE’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management, to the recruitment site.unideb.hu.
Zoltán Bagi emphasized: The development of DNA chips for new species is an expensive and lengthy process, which is why they chose to apply the developed chip to the main economic livestock species. The researchers used commercial chips suitable for genetic analysis of domestic chickens during their tests, which screen for nearly 60,000 genetic mutations.
The evolution of domestic birds and domestic pigeons diverged 85 million years ago. During this time, significant differences had evolved in the genomes of the two species, so it was not at all certain that the approximately 60,000 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) in the pigeons would also be found and tested. In addition, the domestic chicken contains 78 chromosomes, while the domestic pigeon contains 80 chromosomes. We have been able to overcome these obstacles and differences with bioinformatics methods.
With proper transformations and application, more than three times as many new polymorphisms as described in the literature can be screened to date in domestic pigeons, and with further refinement of the method, this percentage could increase many times over, added doctoral student Katalin Balog, first author of the study.
According to Szylvia Cozza, Head of the Animal Genomics Research Group at DE MÉK AGBK, the findings could give a new impetus to domestic pigeon research worldwide, since the effects of a large part of the polymorphisms that are now testable have yet to be tested. reveal his identity.
– We are confident that the scientific results will benefit not only researchers, but also farmers, especially in the production of roasted pigeons.
The DNA chip that we use was mainly developed based on aspects of broiler breeding, so there is a good chance that, thanks to our results, we will be able to identify more genetic variants that play a role in meat production in pigeon meat, and with that we can contribute to the success of the national meat pigeon program – It was concluded that Kusa Zelvia is a university teacher.
