Analysis of porcine MUC4 gene as a candidate gene for prolificacy QTL on SSC13 in an Iberian × Meishan F2 population
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Author
Balcells, Ingrid
Castelló, Anna
Mercadé, Anna
Noguera, José Luis
Fernández-Rodríguez, Amanda
Sànchez, Armand
Tomàs, Anna
Publication date
2011-10-31ISSN
1471-2156
Abstract
Background: Reproductive traits, such as prolificacy, are of great interest to the pig industry. Better understanding
of their genetic architecture should help to increase the efficiency of pig productivity through the implementation
of marker assisted selection (MAS) programmes.
Results: The Mucin 4 (MUC4) gene has been evaluated as a candidate gene for a prolificacy QTL described in an
Iberian × Meishan (Ib × Me) F2 intercross. For association analyses, two previously described SNPs (DQ124298:
g.243A>G and DQ124298:g.344A>G) were genotyped in 347 pigs from the Ib × Me population. QTL for the
number of piglets born alive (NBA) and for the total number of piglets born (TNB) were confirmed on SSC13 at
positions 44 cM and 51 cM, respectively. The MUC4 gene was successfully located within the confidence intervals
of both QTL. Only DQ124298:g.344A>G MUC4 polymorphism was significantly associated with both NBA and TNB
(P-value < 0.05) with favourable effects coming from the Meishan origin. MUC4 expression level was determined in
F2 sows displaying extreme phenotypes for the number of embryos (NE) at 30-32 days of gestation. Differences in
the uterine expression of MUC4 were found between high (NE ≥ 13) and low (NE ≤ 11) prolificacy sows. Overall,
MUC4 expression in high prolificacy sows was almost two-fold increased compared with low prolificacy sows.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that MUC4 could play an important role in the establishment of an optimal uterine
environment that would increase embryonic survival during pig gestation.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
575 - General genetics. General cytogenetics
Pages
6
Publisher
BMC
Is part of
BMC Genetics
Citation
Balcells, Ingrid, Anna Castelló, Anna Mercadé, José L Noguera, Amanda Fernández-Rodríguez, Armand Sànchez, and Anna Tomàs. 2011. “Analysis of Porcine MUC4 Gene as a Candidate Gene for Prolificacy QTL on SSC13 in an Iberian × Meishan F2 Population.” BMC Genomic Data 12 (1): 93. doi: 10.1186/1471-2156-12-93
Grant agreement number
MEC/ /AGL2004-08368-C03/ES/MAPEO E IDENTIFICACION DE GENES QUE AFECTAN A CARACTERES REPRODUCTIVOS Y DE SUPERVIVENCIA EN PORCINO EN UN CRUCE F2 (MEISHAN X IBERICO), MEDIANTE TECNICAS DE EXPRESION DIFERENCIAL Y GENES CANDIDATOS/GAN
MEC/Programa nacional de medios de transporte/CSD2007-00036/ES/Centro de Genómica Básica y de orientación Agroalimentaria/
Program
Genètica i Millora Animal
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2850]
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