Genomic analyses of Asiatic Mouflon in Iran provide insights into the domestication and evolution of sheep
Abstract Background Asiatic mouflon (Ovis gmelini) consists of several subspecies mainly distributed in Armenia, southern Azerbaijan, Cyprus, northern, southern, and western regions of Iran, and eastern and central regions of Turkey nowadays. Genome analyses of Asiatic mouflon in Iran revealed that...
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BMC
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Genetics Selection Evolution |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-025-00978-y |
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| author | Dong-Feng Wang Pablo Orozco-terWengel Hosein Salehian-Dehkordi Ali Esmailizadeh Feng-Hua Lv |
| author_facet | Dong-Feng Wang Pablo Orozco-terWengel Hosein Salehian-Dehkordi Ali Esmailizadeh Feng-Hua Lv |
| author_sort | Dong-Feng Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Asiatic mouflon (Ovis gmelini) consists of several subspecies mainly distributed in Armenia, southern Azerbaijan, Cyprus, northern, southern, and western regions of Iran, and eastern and central regions of Turkey nowadays. Genome analyses of Asiatic mouflon in Iran revealed that they could have diverged from the direct ancestor of domestic sheep, and showed genetic introgression into domestic sheep after domestication. However, the impact of the Asiatic mouflon subspecies in Iran on sheep domestication remains unclear. Results Here, we conducted a comprehensive population genomics analysis of Asiatic mouflon in Iran with 788 whole-genome sequences (including 40 from Asiatic mouflon), 1104 whole mitogenomes (105 from Asiatic mouflon), and 239 Y chromosomes (21 from Asiatic mouflon). Whole-genome sequence analyses revealed two subpopulations of Asiatic mouflon in Iran: O. gmelini_2 limited on Kaboodan Island in Urmia Lake National Park and O. gmelini_1 over a wide geographic area. Phylogenetic analyses of Asiatic mouflon in Iran based on uniparental variants revealed a monophyletic lineage with the mitochondrial haplogroups C/E, and clustered into a monophyletic with Y-chromosomal lineage HY2 of sheep. Additionally, introgression tests detected significant signals of genetic introgression from O. gmelini_2 to four sheep populations (e.g., Garut, Bangladeshi, Nellore, and Sumatra) in South and Southeast Asia. In the four sheep populations, selective tests and introgression signals revealed that the wild introgression could have contributed to their body size, fat metabolism and local adaptation to the hot and humid environments in the Indian Peninsula. Conclusions Our results clarified subpopulation structure of Asiatic mouflon in Iran, identifying two distinct groups: O. gmelini_1 and O. gmelini_2. Additionally, we suggest a potential genetic contribution to domestic sheep by introgression, with maternal haplogroup C and paternal lineage HY2 likely originating from the Asiatic mouflon populations in Iran. Our findings offer new insights into domestication of sheep and subsequent introgressions events from wild relatives to domestic populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2f2c49e37c2f4fe98e9a2d7526d3d854 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1297-9686 |
| language | deu |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | Genetics Selection Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-2f2c49e37c2f4fe98e9a2d7526d3d8542025-08-20T03:45:11ZdeuBMCGenetics Selection Evolution1297-96862025-06-0157111610.1186/s12711-025-00978-yGenomic analyses of Asiatic Mouflon in Iran provide insights into the domestication and evolution of sheepDong-Feng Wang0Pablo Orozco-terWengel1Hosein Salehian-Dehkordi2Ali Esmailizadeh3Feng-Hua Lv4Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding (MOE), State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural UniversitySchool of Biosciences, Cardiff UniversityFrontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding (MOE), State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural UniversityDepartment of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of KermanFrontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding (MOE), State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural UniversityAbstract Background Asiatic mouflon (Ovis gmelini) consists of several subspecies mainly distributed in Armenia, southern Azerbaijan, Cyprus, northern, southern, and western regions of Iran, and eastern and central regions of Turkey nowadays. Genome analyses of Asiatic mouflon in Iran revealed that they could have diverged from the direct ancestor of domestic sheep, and showed genetic introgression into domestic sheep after domestication. However, the impact of the Asiatic mouflon subspecies in Iran on sheep domestication remains unclear. Results Here, we conducted a comprehensive population genomics analysis of Asiatic mouflon in Iran with 788 whole-genome sequences (including 40 from Asiatic mouflon), 1104 whole mitogenomes (105 from Asiatic mouflon), and 239 Y chromosomes (21 from Asiatic mouflon). Whole-genome sequence analyses revealed two subpopulations of Asiatic mouflon in Iran: O. gmelini_2 limited on Kaboodan Island in Urmia Lake National Park and O. gmelini_1 over a wide geographic area. Phylogenetic analyses of Asiatic mouflon in Iran based on uniparental variants revealed a monophyletic lineage with the mitochondrial haplogroups C/E, and clustered into a monophyletic with Y-chromosomal lineage HY2 of sheep. Additionally, introgression tests detected significant signals of genetic introgression from O. gmelini_2 to four sheep populations (e.g., Garut, Bangladeshi, Nellore, and Sumatra) in South and Southeast Asia. In the four sheep populations, selective tests and introgression signals revealed that the wild introgression could have contributed to their body size, fat metabolism and local adaptation to the hot and humid environments in the Indian Peninsula. Conclusions Our results clarified subpopulation structure of Asiatic mouflon in Iran, identifying two distinct groups: O. gmelini_1 and O. gmelini_2. Additionally, we suggest a potential genetic contribution to domestic sheep by introgression, with maternal haplogroup C and paternal lineage HY2 likely originating from the Asiatic mouflon populations in Iran. Our findings offer new insights into domestication of sheep and subsequent introgressions events from wild relatives to domestic populations.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-025-00978-y |
| spellingShingle | Dong-Feng Wang Pablo Orozco-terWengel Hosein Salehian-Dehkordi Ali Esmailizadeh Feng-Hua Lv Genomic analyses of Asiatic Mouflon in Iran provide insights into the domestication and evolution of sheep Genetics Selection Evolution |
| title | Genomic analyses of Asiatic Mouflon in Iran provide insights into the domestication and evolution of sheep |
| title_full | Genomic analyses of Asiatic Mouflon in Iran provide insights into the domestication and evolution of sheep |
| title_fullStr | Genomic analyses of Asiatic Mouflon in Iran provide insights into the domestication and evolution of sheep |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genomic analyses of Asiatic Mouflon in Iran provide insights into the domestication and evolution of sheep |
| title_short | Genomic analyses of Asiatic Mouflon in Iran provide insights into the domestication and evolution of sheep |
| title_sort | genomic analyses of asiatic mouflon in iran provide insights into the domestication and evolution of sheep |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-025-00978-y |
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