Identification of quantitative trait loci affecting corpora lutea and number of teats in a Meishan x Duroc F2 resource population.
Understanding of the genetic control of female reproductive performance in pigs would offer the opportunity to utilize natural variation and improve selective breeding programs through marker-assisted selection. The Chinese Meishan is one of the most prolific pig breeds known, farrowing 3 to 5 more viable piglets per litter than Western breeds. This difference in prolificacy is attributed to the Meishan's superior prenatal survival. Our study utilized a 3-generation resource population, in which the founder grandparental animals were purebred Meishan and Duroc pigs, in a genome scan for QTL. Grandparent, F1, and F2 animals were genotyped for 180 microsatellite markers. Reproductive traits, including number of corpora lutea (number of animals = 234), number of fetuses per animal (n = 226), number of teats (n = 801), and total number born (n = 288), were recorded for F2 females. Genome-wide significance level thresholds of 1, 5, and 10% were calculated using a permutation approach. We identified 9 QTL for 3 traits at a 10% genome-wise significance level. Parametric interval mapping analysis indicated evidence of a 1% genome-wise significant QTL for corpora lutea on SSC 3. Nonparametric interval mapping for number of teats found 4 significant QTL on chromosomes SSC3 (P < 0.01), SSC7 (P < 0.01), SSC8 (P < 0.01), and SSC12 (P < 0.05). Partial imprinting of a QTL affecting teat number (P < 0.10) was detected on SSC8. Using the likelihood-ratio test for a categorical trait, 2 QTL for pin nipples were detected on SSC2 and SSC16 (P < 0.01). Fine mapping of the QTL regions will be required for their application to introgression programs and gene cloning.
Sato
S
S
National Livestock Breeding Center, Nishigo, Fukushima 961-8511, Japan. sshuji@affrc.go.jp
Atsuji
K
K
Saito
N
N
Okitsu
M
M
Sato
S
S
Komatsuda
A
A
Mitsuhashi
T
T
Nirasawa
K
K
Hayashi
T
T
Sugimoto
Y
Y
Kobayashi
E
E
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000502:physiology*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D013552:Swine / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology