Sequencing and Structural Characteristic Analysis of Mitochondrial Genome in Zhijin White Goose(Anser cygnoides)

Abstract Zhijin White Goose has the characteristics of fast growth, good fattening performance, fresh and high-quality meat, rough feeding resistance, and strong disease resistance. It is a precious white goose resource unique to Guizhou Province, China. However, the number of Zhijin White Geese is decreasing endangered state. The purpose of this study to establish a breed conservation standard of Zhijin White Goose by using mitochondrial genome(mtGenome), and preliminarily analyze the mtGenome. In this study, the mtGenome sequence (GenBank MZ427898) of Zhijin White Goose was obtained by the high-throughput sequencing method. The mtGenome differences between the Zhijin White Goose and other different geese breeds were analyzed, and determining the phylogenetic position of the Zhijin White Goose in Anseriformes. The structural characteristics of some sequences and the secondary structural characteristics of RNA were analyzed, which in order to provide some theoretical reference for the follow-up functional research. The results demonstrated that the length was 16 739 bp, and the base composition was A (30.22%), G (15.08%), C (32.23%), and T (22.47%). It contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and 1 D-loop region. The AT content of the mtGenome and PCGs in Zhijin White Goose was 51.58% and 52.69%, respectively, which showed AT preference. The 22 tRNAs, except tRNA-Ser (AGY), form a typical clover structure. Phylogenetic tree analysis based on the mtGenome revealed that the Zhijin White Goose is closely related to the Swan Goose and Chinese Goose and is distantly related to breeds outside China. In conclusion, the mtGenome can be used as a standard to distinguish Zhijin White Goose from other goose breeds, and it can be used as a breeds, candidate identification criterion for Zhijin White Goose.