Abstract
While transposable elements (TE) are critical drivers of genomic diversity, their influence on phenotypic traits in geese remain largely unexplored, primarily because most research has focused on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). In this study, we identified 157,044 TE absence polymorphisms (TAP) in the genome of 566 Sichuan White geese through whole-genome resequencing (with an average coverage depth of 12.44 ×) to evaluate their influence across different populations, and we extended our investigation to include a TE genome-wide association study (TE-GWAS) encompassing 48 traits, with a particular focus on abdominal fat weight. Notably, a TE within an intron of the CDCC171 gene was identified and significantly affects abdominal fat deposition, exhibiting minimal Linkage with SNPs within a 100 kb region. Additionally, co-expression analysis of ovarian transcriptome data from four geese populations revealed significant correlations between long terminal repeat (LTR) and terminal inverted repeat (TIR) elements and genes related to egg production. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of TE as key drivers of phenotypic variation in geese, presenting new opportunities for targeted breeding strategies.