Research Note: Identification of breeding-related candidate genes in Tianjin-monkey chickens by transcriptome analysis

Tianjin-monkey Chicken is a locally bred dual-purpose naked neck poultry with high tolerance to heat stress and poor reproductive ability. We aim to explore breeding-related genes to promote its growth, reproduction, meat, and egg performances. In this study, purebred, crossbred neck-naked and crossbred neck-feathered Tianjin-monkey Chickens (male = 5 and female = 5 in each group) were sampled for transcriptome analysis. Differential gene expression analysis was performed to identify candidate genes based on mRNA expression profiles. Functional enrichment analyses including GO, KEGG and GSEA analysis were conducted. Forty-five candidate breeding-related genes were identified, which were significantly enriched in 5 KEGG pathways and 37 GO terms. Some of the candidate genes were considered to be valuable in guiding breeding in the future, including SPRY3, CPXM2, FST, HDDC2, TLR1B, CYBB, and EHHADH.