Genetic parameters and trends for production traits and their relationship with litter traits in Landrace and Yorkshire pigs.

Genetic parameters and trends in the average daily gain (ADG), backfat thickness (BF), loin muscle area (LMA), lean percentage (LP), and age at 90 kg (D90) were estimated for populations of Landrace and Yorkshire pigs. Additionally, the correlations between these production traits and litter traits were estimated. Litter traits included total born (TB) and number born alive (NBA). The data used for this study were obtained from eight farms during 1999 to 2016. Analyses were carried out with a multivariate animal model to estimate genetic parameters for production traits while bivariate analyses were performed to estimate the correlations between production and litter traits. The heritability estimates were 0.52 and 0.43 for ADG; 0.54 and 0.45 for BF; 0.25 and 0.26 for LMA; 0.54 and 0.48 for LP; and 0.56 and 0.46 for D90 in the Landrace and Yorkshire breeds, respectively. The ADG and D90 showed low genetic correlation with BF and LP. The LMA had -0.40, -0.32, 0.49, and 0.39 genetic correlations with ADG, BF, LP, and D90, respectively. Genetic correlations between production and litter traits were generally low, except for the correlations between LMA and TB (-0.23) in Landrace and ADG and TB (-0.16), ADG and NBA (-0.18), D90 and TB (0.19), and D90 and NBA (0.20) in Yorkshire. Genetic trends in production traits were all favorable except for LMA.

Genome wide association study of fatty acid composition in Duroc swine.

OBJECTIVE: Genome wide association study was conducted to identify and validate candidate genes associated with fatty acid composition of pork. METHODS: A total of 480 purebreed Duroc pigs were genotyped using IlluminaPorcine60k bead chips while the association test was implemented following genome-wide rapid association using Mixed Model and Regression-Genomic Control (GRAMMAR-GC) approach. RESULTS: A total of 25, 29, and 16 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were significantly associated with stearic (18:0), oleic (18:1) and saturated fatty acids (SFA), respectively. Genome wide significant variants were located on the same region of swine chromosome 14 (SSC14) that spanned from 120 to 124 Mb. Top SNP ALGA008191 was located at 5 kb near the stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene. This gene is directly involved in desaturation of stearic acid into oleic acid. General relationship of significant SNPs showed high linkage disequilibrium thus genome-wide signals was attributed to SCD gene. However, understanding the role of other genes like elongation of very long chain fatty acids-3 (ELOVL3) located on this chromosomal segment might help in further understanding of metabolism and biosynthesis of fatty acids. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study provides evidence that validates SCD gene as strong candidate gene associated with fatty acid composition in Duroc pigs. Moreover, this study confirms significant SNPs near ELOVL3 gene.