The invention provides a method of establishing a chicken methylation clock comprising: (a) determining the methylation ratio and the read coverage of the genomic CpG sites of an age-correlated training sample of a specific chicken tissue; (b) defining a set of CpG sites having reliable methylation ratios in all training samples of step (a) using a cutoff value; and (c) performing a penalized regression using the methylation ratios of step (b) as input and the age correlated to the training sample as dependent variable, by applying a penalized regression model; thereby obtaining a set of CpG sites with corresponding weighting factors and intercept of the linear model equation as parameters defining the chicken methylation clock.

Provided in the present invention is a chicken whole-genome SNP chip and application thereof. There are a total of 50,000 SNP loci on the chip: including 19,600 SNP loci for white-feather broilers, yellow-feather and partridge chickens having a MAF value greater than 0.05 and uniformly distributed across the genome which were derived from the data of the whole-genome resequencing of main indigenous chicken breeds in China and introduced chicken breeds; 14,000 SNP loci associated with economic traits, and 16,400 SNP loci for making up for the genomic regions that are not covered by the first two types of probes. The 50,000 SNP loci on the chicken whole-genome SNP chip of the present invention have DNA sequences represented by SEQ ID NOs. 1 to 50,000. The SNP loci on the chip are uniformly distributed across the whole genome, and associated with traits such as feed efficiency, meat production rate, lipid metabolism, meat quality, general resistance to diseases, reproduction and the like, and the chip has moderate through-put and low cost, and could be used universally for chicken breeds at indigenous and abroad.

The present disclosure belongs to the field of livestock molecular biotechnology, and provides kits and methods for pedigree division and paternity testing of domestic pigs. The kits and methods specifically select 14 SSR loci of domestic pigs, especially Anqing six-end-white pigs, and synthesize primers for corresponding loci. Through capillary electrophoresis detection of the ear tissue DNA of 98 Anqing six-end-white pigs, the count of effective alleles, heterozygosity, polymorphism information content, and genetic distance, and exclusion probability at each locus are calculated, the pedigree division of domestic pigs, especially Anqing six-end-white pigs, and paternity testing are conducted. The cumulative exclusion probability of 14 microsatellite loci is 99%. The 14 microsatellite loci selected are polymorphic in Anqing six-end-white pig population, which can be used as effective genetic markers in the production practice of domestic pigs, especially in the pedigree division and paternity testing of Anqing six-end-white pig population.

Single nucleotide polymorphic sites of the bovine MAP1B, PPP1R11, and DDX4 genes are associated with improved bull fertility as measured by e.g. sire conception rates. Nucleic acid molecules, arrays, kits, methods of genotyping and marker-assisted bovine breeding methods based on these SNPs are disclosed.

Cumulus cell (CC) gene expression is being explored as an additional method to morphological scoring to choose the embryo with the highest chance to pregnancy. The present invention relates to a novel method of identifying biomarker genes for evaluating the competence of a mammalian oocyte in giving rise to a viable pregnancy after fertilization, based on the use of live birth and embryonic development as endpoint criteria for the oocytes to be used in an exon level analysis of potential biomarker genes. The invention further provides CC-expressed biomarker genes thus identified, as well as prognostic models based on the biomarker genes identified using the methods of the present invention.

Methods of identifying canine subjects having an increased likelihood of developing elevated levels of 4-ethylphenyl sulfate, canine stress, canine anxiety and/or an inhibition of growth of beneficial microbes and promotion of growth of harmful microbes are disclosed. Methods comprise analyzing a biological sample obtained from the canine subject for the presence of two copies of a minor allele of the single nucleotide polymorphism BICF2P1175095 in a canine subject. Methods of treating the identified canine subjects by administering an effective amount of tomato pomace are also disclosed. Methods of treating canine subjects for elevated 4-EPS levels, canine anxiety or canine stress are disclosed. Canine food compositions that comprises tomato pomace are disclosed.

Disclosed is an SNP marker related to wool traits of a fine-wool sheep, and a detection primer set, a detection method and use thereof, which belong to the technical field of molecular marker detection; the SNP marker is located at 133486008bp on sheep chromosome 3. There is an A/C base mutation at the site, which is significantly related to the wool traits of fine-wool sheep. The SNP marker of the present disclosure may be used in molecular marker assisted breeding of sheep. The molecular marker provided by the present disclosure is not limited by the age, sex, etc. of the sheep, may be used for fine-wool sheep breeding (even a sheep at birth may be accurately screened), and significantly promotes the breeding process of fine-wool sheep.

The present disclosure provides method and compositions for predicting and increasing the survival of fish after stress.

The invention relates to a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker related to a Chinese horse short stature trait. The SNP molecular marker is located at the 501.sup.th position of a sequence shown in SEQ ID NO.1, polymorphism is G/A, and the SNP marker corresponds to base pair 18,205,998 on chromosome 8 in a horse. The SNP marker related to the Chinese horse short stature trait and use thereof provided by the present invention have the following advantages that: (1) the molecular marker is not restricted by the age, sex and the like of Chinese horses, is used in early breeding of the Chinese horses, performs accurate screening immediately at birth, and significantly promotes the breeding process of dominant pony varieties of the Chinese horse; (2) a method for detecting SNP of a Chinese horse TBX3 gene is accurate, reliable, and easy to operate.

An SNP molecular marker for weight gain trait selection and genetic sex identification of Ictalurus punctatus as well as a screening method and application of the SNP molecular marker are provided. At least one of 17 SNP molecular markers for weight gain trait selection of Ictalurus punctatus and a molecular control means for genetic sex and weight gain trait selection and control of Ictalurus punctatus are further provided. Efficient and scientific identification of Ictalurus punctatus is achieved by means of simple PCR reactions and nucleic acid test strips, and the accuracy rate reaches 100%. A traditional agarose gel electrophoresis method is not used in the whole identification process, the cumbersome steps of gel preparation and running electrophoresis are omitted, nucleic acid dyes are not used, and the experimental process is safe and environmentally friendly.