Genetic admixture and adaptive signatures of Guanling cattle revealed by whole-genome sequence

BACKGROUND: Guanling cattle is a vital livestock resource in Guizhou Province, China. Characterizing their genetic diversity provides a foundation for developing effective breeding and conservation strategies. This study employed whole-genome sequencing to analyse the population genetic structure and adaptive evolution of Guanling cattle. RESULTS: The results revealed that Guanling cattle are hybrids of East Asian indicine (EAI, 50%) and East Asian taurine (EAT, 35%) ancestry, exhibiting high genetic diversity and low inbreeding levels. Through local ancestry inference and selection signature analyses, several genes associated with disease resistance, heat tolerance, reproduction, and meat quality (such as STAT6, DNAJC8, HSPA4, PPP1R8, and BASP1) were identified. Notably, DNAJC8 and HSPA4, detected within selection-signal regions showing excessive EAI ancestry, were mainly related to immune and adaptive traits, whereas BASP1, identified in selection-signal regions enriched for EAT ancestry, was associated with muscle development and meat quality. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that Guanling cattle, composed of both indicine and taurine ancestries, represent a newly recognized and highly valuable genetic resource. The results provide important molecular insights for the conservation and breeding of Guanling cattle.