Genome-Wide Association Studies Reveal Key Candidate Genes for Egg Weight and Quality Components in an F2 Japanese Quail Resource Population

Abstract

Simple Summary At the current stage of poultry breeding for egg production, the development and improvement of highly productive breeds and crosses increasingly depend on incorporating modern technologies involving genomics. These include using genetic markers established by integrating the whole genome data into breeding programs. The efficiency of these methods is largely determined by identifying markers that are reliable and enable targeted selection for enhanced egg production and quality traits. This study investigated DNA markers associated with the weight parameters of the egg and its primary components—albumen, yolk, and shell—in laying Japanese quails during active egg laying. We identified specific variations in the genome sequence of quails and candidate genes linked to these traits. We thereby determined the genetic variants that cause certain traits to be expressed. These findings expand our fundamental knowledge of the genetic architecture of egg production in quails. Furthermore, the identified genetic variants represent a baseline for future population-specific studies to explore their potential utility in marker-assisted and genomic selection.