• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1905-1911
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• 2020

Objective: Tibetan pigs, an excellent species unique to China, face serious threats, which in turn affects the development and utilization of the outstanding advantages of plateau hypoxia adaptability and reduces their genetic diversity. Therefore, a discussion of measures to conserve this genetic resource is necessary. The method, based on genetic diversity, genetic divergence and total genetic contribution rate of population, reflects the priority conservation order and varies depending on the three different purposes of conservation. Methods: We analyzed mitochondrial DNA control region (D-loop) variation in 1,201 individuals from nine Tibetan pig populations across five provinces and downloaded 564 mtDNA D-loop sequences from three indigenous pig breeds in Qinghai, Sichuan, and Yunnan Provinces distributed near the Tibetan pigs. Results: We analyzed three different aspects: Changdu Tibetan pigs have the highest genetic diversity, and from the perspective of genetic diversity, the priority conservation is Changdu Tibetan pigs. Hezuo Tibetan pigs have the highest genetic contribution, so the priority conservation is Hezuo Tibetan pigs in the genetic contribution aspect. Rkaze Tibetan pigs were severely affected by indigenous pig breeds, so if considering from the perspective of introgression, the priority conservation is Rkaze Tibetan pigs. Conclusion: This study evaluated genetic diversity and comprehensively assessed conservation priority from three different aspects in nine Tibetan pig populations.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Objective: Three genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and a meta-analysis of GWAS were conducted to explore the genetic mechanisms underlying variation in pig teat number. Methods: We performed three GWAS and a meta-analysis for teat number on three pig populations, including a White Duroc${\times}$Erhualian $F_2$ resource population (n = 1,743), a Chinese Erhualian pig population (n = 320) and a Chinese Sutai pig population (n = 383). Results: We detected 24 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that surpassed the genome-wide significant level on Sus Scrofa chromosomes (SSC) 1, 7, and 12 in the $F_2$ resource population, corresponding to four loci for pig teat number. We highlighted vertnin (VRTN) and lysine demethylase 6B (KDM6B) as two interesting candidate genes at the loci on SSC7 and SSC12. No significant associated SNPs were identified in the meta-analysis of GWAS. Conclusion: The results verified the complex genetic architecture of pig teat number. The causative variants for teat number may be different in the three populations

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1400-1410
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• 2020

Objective: Genome-wide association study and two meta-analysis based on GWAS performed to explore the genetic mechanism underlying variation in pig number born alive (NBA) and total number born (TNB). Methods: Single trait GWAS and two meta-analysis (single-trait meta analysis and multi-trait meta analysis) were used in our study for NBA and TNB on 3,121 Yorkshires from 4 populations, including three different American Yorkshire populations (n = 2,247) and one British Yorkshire populations (n = 874). Results: The result of single trait GWAS showed that no significant associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. Using single-trait meta analysis and multi-trait meta analysis within populations, 11 significant loci were identified associated with target traits. Spindlin 1, vascular endothelial growth factor A, forkhead box Q1, msh homeobox 1, and LHFPL tetraspan submily member 3 are five functionally plausible candidate genes for NBA and TNB. Compared to the single population GWAS, single-trait Meta analysis can improve the detection power to identify SNPs by integrating information of multiple populations. The multiple-trait analysis reduced the power to detect trait-specific loci but enhanced the power to identify the common loci across traits. Conclusion: In total, our findings identified novel genes to be validated as candidates for NBA and TNB in pigs. Also, it enabled us to enlarge population size by including multiple populations with different genetic backgrounds and increase the power of GWAS by using meta analysis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.616-627
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• 2014

The Lanyu is a miniature pig breed indigenous to Lanyu Island, Taiwan. It is distantly related to Asian and European pig breeds. It has been inbred to generate two breeds and crossed with Landrace and Duroc to produce two hybrids for laboratory use. Selecting sets of informative genetic markers to track the genetic qualities of laboratory animals and stud stock is an important function of genetic databases. For more than two decades, Lanyu derived breeds of common ancestry and crossbreeds have been used to examine the effectiveness of genetic marker selection and optimal approaches for individual assignment. In this paper, these pigs and the following breeds: Berkshire, Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire, Meishan and Taoyuan, TLRI Black Pig No. 1, and Kaohsiung Animal Propagation Station Black pig are studied to build a genetic reference database. Nineteen microsatellite markers (loci) provide information on genetic variation and differentiation among studied breeds. High differentiation index ($F_{ST}$) and Cavalli-Sforza chord distances give genetic differentiation among breeds, including Lanyu's inbred populations. Inbreeding values ($F_{IS}$) show that Lanyu and its derived inbred breeds have significant loss of heterozygosity. Individual assignment testing of 352 animals was done with different numbers of microsatellite markers in this study. The testing assigned 99% of the animals successfully into their correct reference populations based on 9 to 14 markers ranking D-scores, allelic number, expected heterozygosity ($H_E$) or $F_{ST}$, respectively. All miss-assigned individuals came from close lineage Lanyu breeds. To improve individual assignment among close lineage breeds, microsatellite markers selected from Lanyu populations with high polymorphic, heterozygosity, $F_{ST}$ and D-scores were used. Only 6 to 8 markers ranking $H_E$, $F_{ST}$ or allelic number were required to obtain 99% assignment accuracy. This result suggests empirical examination of assignment-error rates is required if discernible levels of co-ancestry exist. In the reference group, optimum assignment accuracy was achievable achieved through a combination of different markers by ranking the heterozygosity, $F_{ST}$ and allelic number of close lineage populations.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1491-1500
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• 2019

Objective: European pigs have been imported to improve the economically important traits of Thai pigs by crossbreeding and was finally completely replaced. Currently Thai indigenous pigs are particularly kept in a small population. Therefore, indigenous pigs risk losing their genetic diversity and identity. Thus, this study was conducted to perform large-scale genetic diversity and phylogenetic analyses on the many pig breeds available in Thailand. Methods: Genetic diversity and phylogenetics analyses of 222 pigs belonging to Thai native pigs (TNP), Thai wild boars (TWB), European commercial pigs, commercial crossbred pigs, and Chinese indigenous pigs were investigated by genotyping using 26 microsatellite markers. Results: The results showed that Thai pig populations had a high genetic diversity with mean total and effective ($N_e$) number of alleles of 14.59 and 3.71, respectively, and expected heterozygosity ($H_e$) across loci (0.710). The polymorphic information content per locus ranged between 0.651 and 0.914 leading to an average value above all loci of 0.789, and private alleles were found in six populations. The higher $H_e$ compared to observed heterozygosity ($H_o$) in TNP, TWB, and the commercial pigs indicated some inbreeding within a population. The Nei's genetic distance, mean $F_{ST}$ estimates, neighbour-joining tree of populations and individual, as well as multidimensional analysis indicated close genetic relationship between Thai indigenous pigs and some Chinese pigs, and they are distinctly different from European pigs. Conclusion: Our study reveals a close genetic relationship between TNP and Chinese pigs. The genetic introgression from European breeds is found in some TNP populations, and signs of genetic erosion are shown. Private alleles found in this study should be taken into consideration for the breeding program. The genetic information from this study will be a benefit for both conservation and utilization of Thai pig genetic resources.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1542-1547
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• 2005

The Melanocortin-4 Receptor (MC4R) and Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 (IGF2) are two important candidate genes related to fat deposition and carcass traits. MC4R was found on study on human obesity and then was studied as candidate gene affecting food intake and fat deposition traits in mice and pigs. Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 (IGF2) gene plays an important role on tumor cell proliferation and muscle growth. It also affects fat traits and live weight in pigs. In this paper, MC4R and IGF2 were studied as two candidate genes associated with important economic traits such as fat deposition and carcass traits in five different pig populations. Taq I-PCR-RFLP and Bcn I-PCR-RFLP were respectively used to detect the polymorphism of genotypes of MC4R and IGF2 genes. Different MC4R genotype frequencies were observed in four populations. IGF2 genotype frequencies were also different in two populations. The results of association analysis show both MC4R and IGF2 genes were significantly associated with fat deposition and carcass traits in about 300 pigs. This work will add new evidence of MC4R and IGF2 affecting fat deposition and carcass traits in pigs and show that two genes can be used as important candidate genes for marker assistant selection (MAS) of growth and lean meat percentage in pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2008

Several studies have reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) for meat quality on porcine chromosome 2 (http://www.animalgenome.org/QTLdb/pig.html). For application of the molecular genetic information to the pig industry through marker-assisted selection, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were analyzed by comparative re-sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of 13 candidate genes with DNA from commercial pig breeds such as Berkshire, Yorkshire, Landrace, Duroc and Korean Native pig. A total of 34 SNPs were identified in 15 PCR products producing an average of one SNP in every 253 bp. PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assays were developed for 11 SNPs and used to investigate allele frequencies in five commercial pig breeds in Korea. Eight of the SNPs appear to be fixed in at least one of the five pig breeds, which indicates that different selection among pig breeds might be applied to these SNPs. Polymorphisms detected in the PTH, CSF2 and FOLR genes were chosen to genotype a Berkshire-Yorkshire pig breed reference family for linkage and association analyses. Using linkage analysis, PTH and CSF2 loci were mapped to pig chromosome 2, while FOLR was mapped to pig chromosome 9. Association analyses between SNPs in the PTH, CSF2 and FOLR suggested that the CSF2 MboII polymorphism was significantly associated with several pork quality traits in the Berkshire and Yorkshire crossed F2 pigs. Our current findings provide useful SNP marker information to fine map QTL regions on pig chromosome 2 and to clarify the relevance of SNP and quantitative traits in commercial pig populations.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.275-281
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• 2008

The ability to preselect the sex of piglets is advantageous in the pig industry. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with sorted spermatozoa to produce piglets with a preselected sex. Pig embryos were produced by ICSI of frozen X- and Y-sperm that had been separated by flow cytometry. The developmental competence of the embryos was investigated in vitro and in vivo. The populations of X- and Y-spermatozoa were 52.7% and 47.3%, respectively in our samples. The in vitro development of ICSI embryos was enhanced by longer of in vitro maturation of oocytes ($44{\sim}48\;h$ vs. $40{\sim}43\;h$). Their cleavage ($65{\sim}70%$) and blastocyst formation ($9{\sim}12%$) rates were not significantly different between male and female ICSI embryos, or between sorted and unsorted sperm-derived embryos. One pregnancy was established in a recipient that was transferred with 110 female ICSI embryos, but the pregnancy was terminated on Day 89 of gestation. Our results suggest that the separation X- and Y-spermatozoa by flow cytometric sorting can be a useful tool in combination with ICSI for the production of pig embryos and piglets of preselected sex.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.987-994
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• 2010

To investigate the effect of long term application of organic matter in upland soils, plots for treatments of NPK, NPK+pig manure compost, rape seed cake, rice straw compost, and green manure were set up. Populations of Bacillus and Gram negative bacteria were high in the plot treated with green manure application, but microbial biomass was increased with chemical fertilizer or pig manure compost in upland soils. Activities of phosphomonoesterase and dehydrogenase were high with organic matter application comparing to control. Cluster patterns analysed using phospholipid fatty acid of plots treated with rice straw and or pig manure compost were clearly different comparing with other treatments. Dominant bacteria in upland soils were Bacillus flexus, B. subtilis and B. megaterium. And the strains isolated from upland soils had amylase, protease and lipase activities.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.638-642
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• 2017

Objective: This study aimed to validate the statistical evidence from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) as true-positive and to better understand the effects of the glycophorin C (GYPC) gene on serum hemoglobin traits. Methods: Our initial GWAS revealed the presence of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (ASGA0069038 and ALGA0084612) for the hemoglobin concentration trait (HGB) in the 2.48 Mb region of SSC15. From this target region, GYPC was selected as a promising gene that associated with serum HGB traits in pigs. SNPs within the GYPC gene were detected by sequencing. Thereafter, we performed association analysis of the variant with the serum hemoglobin level in three pig populations. Results: We identified one SNP (g.29625094 T>C) in exon 3 of the GYPC gene. Statistical analysis showed a significant association of the SNP with the serum hemoglobin level on day 20 (p<0.05). By quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, the GYPC gene was expressed in eight different tissues. Conclusion: These results might improve our understanding of GYPC function and provide evidence for its association with serum hemoglobin traits in the pig. These results also indicate that the GYPC gene might serve as a useful marker in pig breeding programs.