The Du’an goat is one of the most important farm animals in the Guangxi Autonomous Region of China, but the genetic basis underlying its adaptive traits has still not been investigated. Firstly, in this study, the genomes of 15 Du’an goats from a breeding farm were sequenced (mean depth: 9.50X) to analyze the patterns of genetic variation. A comparable diversity (17.3 million single nucleotide polymorphisms and 2.1 million indels) was observed to be associated with a lower runs of homozygosity-based inbreeding coefficient and smaller effective population size in comparison with other breeds. From selective sweep and gene set enrichment analyses, we revealed selective signals related to adaptive traits, including immune resistance (serpin cluster, INFGR1, TLR2, and immune-related pathways), body size (HMGA2, LCOR, ESR1, and cancer-related pathways) and heat tolerance (MTOR, ABCG2, PDE10A, and purine metabolism pathway). Our findings uncovered the unique diversity at the genomic level and will provide the opportunities for improvement of productivity in the Du’an goat.

Guangxi Province is located in the southernmost region of China, adjacent to the hotspot that is considered to be the putative migratory corridor or domestication area for Chinese indicine cattle. Here, we investigated the evolutionary status of Guangxi native breeds, Longlin (n = 21), Nandan (n = 18), and Weizhou cattle (n = 17) using mitogenome sequencing. Our results show that Bos indicus sub-haplogroup I1a predominates in Guangxi cattle breeds. Population structure by multidimensional-scaling analysis significantly differentiates Weizhou from the other two breeds (Longlin and Nandan). Moreover, the mtDNA haplotype composition and F_ST values indicate that the formation of Longlin and Nandan breeds may have been affected by Indian indicine, whereas, Weizhou island might have preserved pure Chinese indicine cattle due to its geographical isolation. We speculate that following the initial entry of zebu into southern China, the subsequent introgression of Indian indicine may have influenced the matrilineal origin of local breeds in southwestern China.

Buffalo is an economically important livestock that renders useful services to manhood in terms of meat, milk, leather, and draught. The Xilin buffalo is among the native buffalo breeds of China. In the present study, the genetic architecture and selection signature signals of Xilin buffalo have been explored. Correlation analysis of the population structure of Xilin buffalo was conducted by constructing NJ tree, PCA, ADMIXTURE and other methods. A total of twenty-five (n = 25) Xilin buffalo whole genome data and data of forty-six (n = 46) buffaloes published data were used. The population structure analysis showed that the Xilin buffalo belong to the Middle-Lower Yangtze. The genome diversity of Xilin buffalo was relatively high. The CLR, π ratio, F_ST, and XP-EHH were used to detect the candidate genes characteristics of positive selection in Xilin buffalo. Among the identified genes, most of the enriched signal pathways were related to the nervous system and metabolism. The mainly reported genes were related to the nervous system (GRM5, GRIK2, GRIA4), reproductive genes (CSNK1G2, KCNIP4), and lactation (TP63). The results of this study are of great significance for understanding the molecular basis of phenotypic variation of related traits of Xilin buffalo. We provide a comprehensive overview of sequence variations in Xilin buffalo genomes. Selection signatures were detected in genomic regions that are possibly related to economically important traits in Xilin buffalo and help in future breeding and conservation programs of this important livestock genetic resource.

Guangxi Province, in the southwest of China, is one of the putative migratory corridors or domestication centers for swamp buffalo. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary status of two Guangxi native buffalo breeds (Fuzhong buffalo, n = 15; Xilin buffalo, n = 25) based on the complete mitogenome sequencing. Our results revealed rich genetic diversity in the two buffalo breeds. We detected five haplogroups (SA1, SA2, SB1, SB2, SB3) in the two Guangxi buffalo breeds, and the haplogroup SB3 in the Fuzhong buffalo. Our results showed that the haplogroup SA1 was associated with the major domestication event that involved population expansion in Guangxi buffalo. In conclusion, our findings revealed a high level of maternal genetic diversity and the phylogenetic pattern of the two Guangxi buffalo breeds.

Introduction: This study investigated the regulatory effects of dietary Ecliptae herba supplementation on the growth performance, meat quality, gut microbiota, and metabolome of Lingshan chickens. Methods: A total of 72 healthy 60-day-old Lingshan chickens were randomly allocated to four groups (3 replicates/group, 6 birds/replicate) and fed either a basal diet (Con) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.2%, 0.4%, or 0.6% E. herba for 49 days. Results and Discussion: Dietary inclusion of 0.4% and 0.6% E. herba increased average daily gain (ADG) and decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR) ( P < 0.05). Meat quality analysis revealed that both supplementation levels reduced drip loss and cooking loss in both breast and thigh muscles, while enhancing thigh muscle redness ( P < 0.05). Further, dietary E. herba optimized gut microbiota composition by enriching beneficial taxa and suppressing potential pathogens. Additionally, untargeted metabolomics identified amino acid biosynthesis and protein digestion and absorption as the key metabolic pathways upregulated by E. herba treatment. Collectively, dietary E. herba effectively improved the growth performance and meat quality of Lingshan chickens, and these beneficial effects may be associated with the observed changes in gut microbiota composition and metabolic pathways. These findings provide a scientific basis for the potential application of E. herba as a natural feed additive in sustainable poultry production.