Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms in major and candidate genes for production traits in Nero Siciliano pig breed

Abstract

Nero Siciliano (NS; Sicilian Black) is a local pig breed reared on the island of Sicily mainly under extensive management.The breed is well adapted to marginal conditions and is appreciated for its reproductive performance, disease resistanceand production of tasty meat. For a genetic characterization of this breed we analyzed the allele frequencies of singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in eight major or candidate genes (ryanodine receptor 1, RYR1; Na+, K+ ATPase subunitα 2, ATP1A2; myosin heavy chain 2B, MYH4; sarcolipin, SLN; cathepsin B, CTSB; cystatin B, CSTB; estrogen receptor,ESR; melanocortin receptor 1, MC1R) for performance and phenotypic traits. The animals that were sampled andanalyzed represent about 6-8% of the total NS pig population. PCR-RFLP or PCR-SSCP techniques were used to type theDNA markers in the selected loci. Exact test of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was computed for each locus, Fis statisticsand heterozygosity were calculated for each locus and over all loci. Allele frequencies obtained in NS breed were comparedto the frequencies already available in literature for the Large White, Landrace, Duroc, Belgian Landrace, Piétrain,Hampshire and Meishan breeds. For the ESR locus, as no information on the distribution of the two alleles were available,we typed a sample of unrelated pigs from the considered breeds.Even if only eight loci were studied in NS breed, important elements were obtained from the data. The 1843T (n) alleleat the RYR1 locus is present in NS breed, thus the molecular test to identify the carriers of this allele should be adoptedto avoid its spreading in the population. Moreover, other studies are needed to clarify the allelic structure of the MC1Rgene, which affects coat color, in order to evaluate if this gene could be used in genetic tests for the traceability of themeat products of this breed. Finally, the present work represents an attempt to evaluate data on mutations within majorand candidate genes with the final aim to provide information that could be useful for the conservation and valorizationof local farm animal genetic resources.

Keywords

• Nero Siciliano, Pig breeds, SNP, Allele frequency, Genetic diversity