An international team of researchers hassequenced and assembled more than 90% of the common turkey genome (Meleagris gallopavo), the fourth most popular source of meat in the US. The study is published in the latest issue of the journalPLoS Biology.
The use of next-generation sequencing technologies has enabled scientists to quickly and efficiently establish the first genetic draft of the species. Most of the data in the study comes from the ten largest chromosomes, called “macrochromosomes,” and the remaining microchromosomes remain to be sequenced.
“The turkey genome sequence will provide scientists with knowledge of the specific genes that regulatethe quality and productivity of the meat, as well as health and resistance to diseases, fertility and reproduction “, has advanced Rami Dalloul, assistant professor of veterinary medicine and poultry at Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (USA).
“A better understanding of the genetic variation in this species will also lead to the development of new tools that producers can use to raise turkeys that have a desirable texture, flavor and leanness, which will have a direct impact on consumer products,” they point out. researchers.
Applications in biomedicine
The genome sequence can also be applied in the biomedical field according to experts. Researcher Ed. Smith, professor of zoology and poultry at Virginia Tech, is investigatinga condition in these birds similar to human dilated cardiomyopathy. And other members of the consortium such as Roger Coulombe, from Utah State University, and researcher Reed Kent, from the University of Minnesota (both in the US), are studying the effects that turkeys have on turkeys.aflatoxins, natural chemicals produced by carcinogenic fungi that suppress the immune system. The domestic turkey is the known species most susceptible to aflatoxins.
