Decoding Complex Traits in Goats Through Genome-Wide Association Studies: Progress, Challenges, and Perspectives

Goats play a significant role in the global livestock industry, with breeders aiming to investigate genetic variations linked to crucial economic traits for enhancing production performance. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are a highly effective method for identifying the associations between complex traits or diseases and genetic variations in goat at the whole-genome level. By analyzing large datasets of goat genomes, GWASs can offer valuable insights into the identification of genetic variations related to key economic traits in goats and aid in the discovery of new genetic variants. These discoveries hold the promise of improving the efficiency of goat production by molecular breeding strategies. This study reviews the fundamental theories and developmental processes of GWAS, focusing on its role in identifying potential genetic loci or genes associated with major economic traits in goats. Additionally, it delves into the challenges involved in unraveling the genetic architecture of complex traits in goats through GWAS and investigates future opportunities for progress to advance the goat molecular breeding.