Animal Molecular Breeding 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 10-18 http://animalscipublisher.com/index.php/amb 17 variations. The validation of GWAS results usually requires an independent sample set, which may be difficult to achieve in poultry research (Su et al., 2023). Due to the complexity of the poultry genome, the identified genetic markers are often located in intergenic regions, and their precise biological functions and regulatory mechanisms are unclear, increasing the difficulty of functional verification. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide a powerful tool for unraveling the genetic basis of disease resistance in poultry, but also face sample size and genetic diversity limitations, complexity of environmental factors and genetic interactions, and challenges in data interpretation and validation. To overcome these limitations, future research will require a multidisciplinary approach that combines high-throughput sequencing technologies, precise phenotypic characterization, and advanced bioinformatics analyses to improve the accuracy and reliability of GWAS. By integrating the reciprocal effects of genetic, environmental and management factors, as well as enhancing functional genomics research, it will contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex mechanisms of poultry disease resistance and facilitate progress in poultry health management and breeding improvement. 5 Conclusion Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have made indelible contributions to revealing the genetic basis of poultry disease resistance, providing important scientific support for the sustainable development of the poultry industry. By comprehensively analyzing the application of GWAS in poultry disease resistance research, the challenges it faces, and the outlook for future research directions, we can gain a deeper understanding of the important impact of this research methodology on the long-term development of the poultry industry (Su et al., 2020). GWAS has successfully identified several key genes and genetic markers associated with poultry disease resistance by analyzing the association between genetic variation and disease resistance in the poultry genome. These findings not only enrich the understanding of poultry genetic diversity, but also provide new strategies for disease prevention and control and breeding for disease resistance. For example, the key genes identified through GWAS for resistance to avian influenza and Marek's disease provide powerful genetic markers for breeding programs, enabling breeders to more precisely select individuals with higher disease resistance, thereby improving the overall health and productivity of poultry populations. With the continuous development of gene editing technology, future research will focus more on the use of gene editing to validate key genes and genetic variants identified by GWAS. Based on technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9, researchers can precisely edit the poultry genome to validate the function of specific genes in disease resistance and provide more direct evidence for poultry disease resistance breeding. Future research will focus more on the effects of environmental factors and genetic interactions on poultry disease resistance. As the environment continues to change and poultry face multiple pressures from climate, feeding conditions, pathogen exposure, etc., the interaction between environmental factors and genetic variation will become an important direction for research. By integrating environmental and genetic factors, the complex mechanisms underlying the development of resistance phenotypes to diseases in poultry can be better understood. Future research will also enhance the complexity of data interpretation and validation. By combining bioinformatics approaches and functional genomics experiments, the mechanisms by which genetic variants identified by GWAS play a role in disease resistance can be more accurately interpreted and their biological functions can be validated. Researchers need to develop new statistical models and analytical tools to cope with the increasingly large and complex GWAS data and to improve the efficiency of interpretation and validation of results. Future research will also strengthen international collaboration and resource sharing to jointly address challenges and limitations in poultry disease resistance research. The establishment of an international poultry genome database to integrate genetic data and phenotypic information worldwide will help accelerate research progress and promote the development of the poultry industry. At the same time, it will strengthen the protection and utilization of poultry genetic resources and provide reliable data support and resources for future research.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODY0NQ==