Genomic Diversity and Selection Signatures for Zaosheng Cattle

The majority of native cattle in the central region of China are taurine × indicine cattle with diverse phenotypes. Zaosheng cattle, a native Chinese breed from Gansu Province, exhibit excellent meat quality and good adaptability. This cattle breed is still in the development phase from a drought type to a beef breed. To further study Zaosheng cattle, we used whole-genome sequencing data from 19 Zaosheng cattle samples and 91 published samples to understand their genetic diversity, population structure, and environmental adaptation. We provided a comprehensive overview of the sequence variation to explore the genetic changes in Zaosheng cattle due to environmental adaptation. According to genetic composition analysis, this study demonstrated that Zaosheng cattle are derived primarily from East Asian indicine cattle and East Asian cattle; specifically, Zaosheng and Qinchuan cattle are the most genetically similar. Through ancestral fragment inference and selective sweep analysis, we identified several genes linked to lipid metabolism, immune regulation, fertility, and meat quality across the mosaic genome of Zaosheng cattle, revealing numerous indicators of taurine or indicine ancestry. In summary, this study provides essential genetic insights into the genome diversity of Zaosheng cattle, while establishing a foundation for conserving their genetic resources and improving crossbreeding.