Project Manager
Yessengali Ussenbekov
Academic degree, title: Candidate of Biological Sciences, Professor
Scopus Author ID: 56465995700
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9508-4179
About the project
Relevance
The development of contemporarily intensive animal husbandry is based on the use of a small number of highly productive breeds, which leads to the gradual removal of local livestock breeds from agriculture. Genetic studies of native breeds, however, are needed to develop a strategy for their conservation and identification of unique mutations that are responsible for their adaptation to local environmental conditions and must be "transferred" to more productive breeds to increase their productivity and beneficial genetic diversity in the new environment. In addition, the study of intra- and interbreed genetic diversity allows us to estimate the number of genetic markers necessary for reliable prediction of breeding values of individual animals. Native breed research is helping to identify the biological mechanisms that allowed these breeds to survive and adapt to local environmental conditions. This project aims to study the population structure of Kazakhstani cattle breeds, their genetic diversity, as well as the genetics of their adaptation to the local climate using whole genome resequencing.
Goal
Thus, the goals of this project are: to analyze the population structure of Kazakh cattle breeds and search for signatures of selection in different breeds or groups of breeds; identification of genomic loci involved in the formation of intra- and interspecific adaptations to climate. During the project, using high-throughput resequencing technologies in cattle, it is planned to study the variability of genomes for many SNP markers representing nearly the entire genome. Analysis of the information obtained will make it possible to assess the genetic characteristics of the studied populations (linkage disequilibrium, diversity of haplotypes, genetic differentiation of populations, etc.), as well as to establish loci and genetic markers in them that are under selection.
Results expected and achieved
Within the framework of this project, for the first time, the results of whole genome sequencing of five local breeds of Kazakhstani cattle will be obtained: Aulieata, Auliekol, Alatau, Kalmyk, Kazakh Whiteheaded; genetic passports of these breeds will be created, specific genetic variants will be identified that affect the economically important and adaptive phenotypes of these breeds. The sequencing results will be recommended for usage in selection and breeding programmes. In addition, the effects of breed-specific SNP, insertions, deletions, on economically useful traits of the studied populations will be investigated. The sequencing data obtained during the project will be deposited to the NCBI Trace Archive, dbSNP and other databases. These data will serve as the basis for further study of cattle breeds from Kazakhstan, which, from our part, will include the creation of reference genomes for the most generically unique breeds in terms and the study of the influence of mutations identified in the course of this work on gene expression, identification of eQTL and other elements of the genome that determine the unique biology of our breeds. Currently, the lack of genetic passports of domestic breeds makes it impossible carrying out breeding programmes at the world level.
Information for potential users
The project has commercial potential, the creation of genetic passports would allow acceleration of breeding programmes in dairy and beef cattle breeding.
Research team members
Denis Larkin
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7859-6201
Aigerim Khamzina
Academic degree, title: Master of Agricultural Sciences
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2211-0377
Abzal Makhmutov
Academic degree, title: Candidate of Veterinary Sciences, Associate Professor
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0230-0045
Aset Turgumbekov
Academic degree, title: Master of Veterinary Sciences
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0230-0045
Shynar Kasymbekova
Academic degree, title: Candidate of Veterinary Sciences
Scopus ID 57202643050
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2992-8817
Zhadyra Muslimova
Academic degree, title: Master of Agricultural Sciences
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3485-7240
Aigerim Bagdat
Academic degree, title: PhD
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9825-6132
Raikhan Dzhunusova
Academic degree, title: - Master of Veterinary Sciences
https://doi.org/10.32014/2019.2518-1467.65
Almas Serikov
Academic degree, title: Master of Biological Sciences
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4686-8978