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Identification of quantitative trait loci affecting corpora lutea and number of teats in a Meishan x Duroc F₂ resource population

S. Sato^*,1,2, K. Atsuji^*, N. Saito, M. Okitsu, S. Sato^*, A. Komatsuda, T. Mitsuhashi^*,2, K. Nirasawa^*,3, T. Hayashi, Y. Sugimoto^# and E. Kobayashi^*

^* National Livestock Breeding Center, Nishigo, Fukushima 961-8511, Japan; and Ibaraki Branch of National Livestock Breeding Center, Fujigaya, Ibaraki 308-0112, Japan; and Miyazaki Branch of National Livestock Breeding Center, Kobayashi, Miyazaki 886-0004, Japan; and National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan; and and ^# Shirakawa Institute of Animal Genetics, Nishigo, Fukushima 961-8061, Japan

¹ Corresponding author: sshuji{at}affrc.go.jp

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.

Key Words: corpora lutea • imprinting • number of teats • pig • quantitative trait loci