Scientists reveal genetic changes in Beijing ducks

researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and others found genetic mutations associated with beijing duck white feathers and larger body sizes. The findings shed light on the genetic basis of some of the characteristics that Beijing ducks have chosen over the past few hundred years. The paper was published recently in
Journal.
500 D.C., green-headed ducks were domesticated in central China and formed a variety of local duck species. Among them, Beijing duck is the result of hundreds of years of high-intensity artificial selection. However, the researchers had not previously found genetic changes associated with good characters such as beijing duck white feathers and fast growth.
Hou Aquatic of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiang Yu of Northwestern University of Agriculture, Forgology and Technology, and others compared the genomes of 40 green-headed ducks, 36 local ducks of 12 different species (including Shaoxing ducks and high-post ducks) and 30 Peking ducks. After finding the selection signal, the researchers hybridized the green-headed duck with the Beijing duck, breeding 1,026 ducks.
, the researchers identified two genetic mutations associated with beijing duck white feathers, larger body size and higher feed conversion rates. The study found that a mutation in a gene called MITF associated with white feathers, and a separate mutation, may have caused the continued expression of the IGF2BP1 gene after the birth of the Beijing duck and the eventual increase in meat production. (Source: Tang Feng, China Science Daily)