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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Animal Genetics

Genome‐Wide Analysis of Resistance to Gastrointestinal Parasites in Portuguese Merino and Merino‐Related Sheep

  • Daniel Gaspar1,2,3
  • Catarina Ginja3,4
  • Nuno Carolino4,5,6
  • Célia Leão2,5,7
  • Helena Monteiro8
  • Lino Tábuas9
  • Sandra Branco8,10
  • Pedro Caetano8,10
  • Ricardo Romão8
  • Claudino Matos9
  • Elisa Bettencourt8,10
  • António Marcos Ramos2,7
2 more authors
  • Ana Usié2,7
  • Ludovina Padre8,10
10 affiliations
  1. 1Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências Universidade do Porto Porto Portugal
  2. 2Centro de Biotecnologia Agrícola e Agro‐Alimentar Do Alentejo (CEBAL)/Universidade Politécnica de Beja (UPBeja) Beja Portugal
  3. 3BIOPOLIS/CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBio Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
  4. 4Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária CIISA, Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Sanidade Animal, Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
  5. 5Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária E Veterinária, I.P. (INIAV, I.P.) Oeiras Portugal
  6. 6Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama Lordemão, Coimbra Portugal
  7. 7MED – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development and CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, CEBAL – Centro de Biotecnologia Agrícola e Agro‐Alimentar do Alentejo Beja Portugal
  8. 8MED – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development and CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, University of Évora Évora Portugal
  9. 9ACOS – Agricultores do Sul Beja Portugal
  10. 10Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Évora University Évora Portugal
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Abstract

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are one of the main constraints affecting sheep production worldwide. For decades, control methods based on anthelmintics have been extensively used, which ended up in multiple drug‐resistant helminth strains. Selective breeding for disease resistance is a long‐term and sustainable strategy to improve animal health, welfare and productivity. Therefore, we performed a genome‐wide association study using a customized SNP panel to identify genomic regions and molecular mechanisms associated with GIN resistance/susceptibility among Portuguese Merino and Merino‐related sheep. Two SNPs located within centromere protein K (chr 16; 14 439 999 bp) and NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex assembly factor 2 (chr 16; 19 366 442 bp) genic regions reached genome‐wide Bonferroni significance (p = 2.08 × 10−6). Additionally, five genome‐wide suggestive SNPs were detected within genic regions of adenomatous polyposis coli regulator of WNT signaling pathway (chr 7; 1 050 994 bp), regulator of G protein signaling 8 (chr 12; 68 278 650 bp) and hypoxia inducible factor 3 subunit alpha (chr 14; 57 059 428 bp), as well as in intergenic regions near calcium binding and coiled‐coil domain 1 and ATP synthase membrane subunit C locus 2 (chr 3 142 391 546 bp) and semaphorin‐6D (chr 7; 65 321 727 bp). Candidate genes located in these regions are involved in intestinal homeostasis, epithelial barrier reinforcement, and regulatory mechanisms of immune response. These results provide new and useful information about the genetic architecture underlying GIN infection in Portuguese Merino sheep. Further analyses are needed to validate these SNPs and assess their contribution to selection strategies focused on breeding animals with enhanced GIN resistance.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{gaspar2026genomewide,
  title = {{Genome‐Wide Analysis of Resistance to Gastrointestinal Parasites in Portuguese Merino and Merino‐Related Sheep}},
  author = {Daniel Gaspar and Catarina Ginja and Nuno Carolino and Célia Leão and Helena Monteiro and Lino Tábuas and Sandra Branco and Pedro Caetano and Ricardo Romão and Claudino Matos and Elisa Bettencourt and António Marcos Ramos and Ana Usié and Ludovina Padre},
  journal = {Animal Genetics},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1002/age.70218},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/age.70218},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Genome‐Wide Analysis of Resistance to Gastrointestinal Parasites in Portuguese Merino and Merino‐Related Sheep
AU  - Daniel Gaspar
AU  - Catarina Ginja
AU  - Nuno Carolino
AU  - Célia Leão
AU  - Helena Monteiro
AU  - Lino Tábuas
AU  - Sandra Branco
AU  - Pedro Caetano
AU  - Ricardo Romão
AU  - Claudino Matos
AU  - Elisa Bettencourt
AU  - António Marcos Ramos
AU  - Ana Usié
AU  - Ludovina Padre
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/04
JO  - Animal Genetics
DO  - 10.1002/age.70218
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1002/age.70218
AB  - Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are one of the main constraints affecting sheep production worldwide. For decades, control methods based on anthelmintics have been extensively used, which ended up in multiple drug‐resistant helminth strains. Selective breeding for disease resistance is a long‐term and sustainable strategy to improve animal health, welfare and productivity. Therefore, we performed a genome‐wide association study using a customized SNP panel to identify genomic regions and molecular mechanisms associated with GIN resistance/susceptibility among Portuguese Merino and Merino‐related sheep. Two SNPs located within centromere protein K (chr 16; 14 439 999 bp) and NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase complex assembly factor 2 (chr 16; 19 366 442 bp) genic regions reached genome‐wide Bonferroni significance (p = 2.08 × 10−6). Additionally, five genome‐wide suggestive SNPs were detected within genic regions of adenomatous polyposis coli regulator of WNT signaling pathway (chr 7; 1 050 994 bp), regulator of G protein signaling 8 (chr 12; 68 278 650 bp) and hypoxia inducible factor 3 subunit alpha (chr 14; 57 059 428 bp), as well as in intergenic regions near calcium binding and coiled‐coil domain 1 and ATP synthase membrane subunit C locus 2 (chr 3 142 391 546 bp) and semaphorin‐6D (chr 7; 65 321 727 bp). Candidate genes located in these regions are involved in intestinal homeostasis, epithelial barrier reinforcement, and regulatory mechanisms of immune response. These results provide new and useful information about the genetic architecture underlying GIN infection in Portuguese Merino sheep. Further analyses are needed to validate these SNPs and assess their contribution to selection strategies focused on breeding animals with enhanced GIN resistance.
SN  - 0268-9146
SN  - 1365-2052
ER  -