Genome-wide association studies for growth traits in broilers

Background The identification of markers and genes for growth traits may not only benefit for marker assist selection /genomic selection but also provide important information for understanding the genetic foundation of growth traits in broilers. Results In the current study, we estimated the genetic parameters of eight growth traits in broilers and carried out the genome-wide association studies for these growth traits. A total of 113 QTNs discovered by multiple methods together, and some genes, including ACTA1 , IGF2BP1 , TAPT1 , LDB2 , PRKCA , TGFBR2 , GLI3 , SLC16A7, INHBA, BAMBI, APCDD1, GPR39, and GATA4 , were identified as important candidate genes for rapid growth in broilers. Conclusions The results of this study will provide important information for understanding the genetic foundation of growth traits in broilers.