Authors: | Yoo CK, Cho IC, Lee JB, Jung EJ, Lim HT, Han SH, Lee SS, Ko MS, Kang T, Hwang JH, Park YS, Park HB.
(Contact: hbpark@gnu.ac.kr) |
Abstract: Clinical-chemical traits are essential when examining the health status of individuals. The aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) and the associated positional candidate genes affecting clinical-chemical traits in a reciprocal F2 intercross between Landrace and Korean native pigs. Following an overnight fast, twenty five serum phenotypes related to clinical-chemical traits (e.g., hepatic function parameters, renal function parameters, electrolyte, lipids) were measured in > 970 F2 progeny. All experimental samples were subjected to genotyping analysis using 165 microsatellite markers located across the genome. We identified eleven genome-wide significant QTL in 6 chromosomal regions (SSC 2, 7, 8, 13, 14, and 15) and 59 suggestive QTL in 17 chromosomal regions (SSC 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18). We also observed significant effects of reciprocal crosses on some of the traits, which would seem to result from maternal effect, QTL on sex chromosomes, imprinted genes or genetic difference in mitochondrial DNA. The role of genomic imprinting in clinical-chemical traits also was investigated. Genome-wide analysis revealed a significant evidence for an imprinted QTL in SSC4 affecting serum amylase levels.
Additionally, a series of bivariate linkage analysis provided strong evidence that QTL in SSC 2, 13, 15, and 18 have a pleiotropic effect on clinical-chemical traits. In conclusion, our study detected both novel and previously reported QTL influencing clinical-chemical traits in pigs. The identified QTL together with the positional candidate genes identified here could play an important role in elucidating the genetic structure of clinical-chemical phenotype variation in humans and swine. |