Genomic analysis of genetic markers associated with inherited cardiomyopathy (round heart disease) in the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo).

K M Reed, K M Mendoza, G R Hu, L R Sullivan, M W Grace, L D Chaves, D L Kooyman

Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA. reedx054@umn.edu

Animal genetics 2007 Jun

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In turkeys, spontaneous cardiomyopathy or round heart (RH) disease is characterised by dilated ventricles and cardiac muscle hypertrophy. Although the aetiology of RH is still unknown, the disease can have a significant economic impact on turkey producers. In an initial attempt to identify genomic regions associated with RH, we utilised the chicken genome sequence to target short DNA sequences (sequence-characterised amplified regions, SCARs) identified in previous studies that had significant differences in frequency distribution between RH+ and RH- turkeys. SCARs were comparatively aligned with the chicken whole-genome sequence to identify flanking regions for primer design. Primers from 32 alignments were tested and target sequences were successfully amplified for 30 loci (94%). Comparative re-sequencing identified putative SNPs in 20 of the 30 loci (67%). Genetically informative SNPs at 16 loci were genotyped in the UMN/NTBF turkey mapping population. As a result of this study, 34 markers were placed on the turkey/chicken comparative map and 15 markers were added to the turkey genetic linkage map. The position of these markers relative to cardiac-related genes is presented. In addition, analysis of genotypes at 109 microsatellite loci presumed to flank the SCAR sequences in the turkey genome identified four significant associations with RH.

Citation

K M Reed, K M Mendoza, G R Hu, L R Sullivan, M W Grace, L D Chaves, D L Kooyman. Genomic analysis of genetic markers associated with inherited cardiomyopathy (round heart disease) in the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Animal genetics. 2007 Jun;38(3):211-7