Unraveling evolutionary relationships among Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) varieties through whole-genome sequencing

Manoharan, A., Tomar, S., Gandham, R.K., Bhati, J., Sirajuddin, M., Bhanja, S.K., Tyagi, J.S., Kumari, S., Tanuj, G.N., Mondal, P., Praharaj, M.R. and Tiwari, A.K. 2023. Unraveling evolutionary relationships among Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) varieties through whole-genome sequencing. Indian Journal Poultry Science, 58(3): 201–206.

The present study was aimed at unravelling the evolutionary relationship among different taxa of Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) using whole-genome sequencing. A total of six individuals of Pearl variety (CARI-CHITAMBARI) of Guinea fowl (GF) were randomly chosen and blood was collected. Isolation of genomic DNA was done, integrity and quantity of the DNA samples were assessed on gel electrophoresis and Nano-drop spectrophotometer. After the quality check, next generation sequencing libraries were constructed and whole-genome sequencing was performed on Illlumina NovaSeq 6000 platform at 20X coverage with Paired End150 reads. In order to perform the phylogenetic analysis, the reference whole-genome sequence (WGS) ofWestAfrican Guinea fowl was retrieved from NCBI. Six more whole genome sequences of Guinea fowl were further retrieved from NCBI Gene Bank along with their accession numbers. Totally seven Whole-genome sequences (including CARI Pearl) from each variety of Guinea fowl were retrieved and downloaded. The phylogenetic tree was constructed and visualized using TASSEL software and iTOL tool, respectively. The genome mapping percentage of CARI Pearl Guinea fowl genome with reference genome was 97%. The genetic relationship between Domestic Sudan GF and Domestic Nigeria GF, Selvatica GF and Casmosciata GF, Domestic Iran GF and CARI Pearl Guinea fowls were 76.70%, 81.40%, 78.90%, respectively. The results of our study would enrich our understanding of genetic background of helmeted Guinea fowls and provide a rigorous framework for the historical evolution of these birds and lay the foundation for further research and development of this species.