Productive chain of tambaqui: genomic selection for resistance/tolerance to acantocephalosis

• Grant number: 20/07959-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: July 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Aquaculture
• Agreement: FAPEAM
• Principal Investigator: Diogo Teruo Hashimoto
• Grantee: Diogo Teruo Hashimoto
• Host Institution: Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alexandre Honczaryk ; Jose Manuel Yanez ; Sílvia Umeda Gallani

Abstract

Tambaqui Colossoma macropomum is the main native fish produced by the national aquaculture. However, the production chain of this fish has been significantly affected by acantocephalosis, caused by the endoparasite Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae. The selection of superior genotypes for resistance/tolerance to acantocephalosis is a fundamental approach to improve production in the context of environmental sustainability and food safety of tambaqui. The objective of this project is to assist the genetic selection program to improve the tambaqui production chain, resistant and tolerant to acanthocephalan N. buttnerae, through a genome wide association study (GWAS) and genomic selection. 54 families of the genetic improvement nucleus of Caunesp will be formed to be used as biological material. The phenotypes will be obtained through an experimental challenge with the distribution of animals in three ponds (replicates), containing zooplankton hosting the infective phase of the parasite. Genetic parameters will be estimated for resistance, through the evaluation of the parasitic load (degree of infestation) in the animals' intestines; and for tolerance, through the assessment of body weight gain/loss in animals confirmed with the disease. In relation to genomic analysis, we intend to obtain parental genotypes using a high density array (30K SNPs) and, then, to perform the imputation of genotypes in the progeny using a low density array (1K SNPs) and pedigree information, which will provide a cost-effective strategy for the application of GWAS and the incorporation of genomic selection in tambaqui. The expected result is to generate a significant advance for improvement studies in native fish, identifying tambaqui resistant and/or tolerant to acantocephalosis and understanding the genomic regions associated with such traits. The potential impact of this study is to enable a technological framework to boost the tambaqui production chain in the aquaculture industry, with food safety, high genetic quality and added value. (AU)