Wang Yuan, Wang Min, He Xiaojin, Dong Ruilan, Liu Hongjiang, Yu Guanghui
College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Jiaozhou, Jiaozhou 266300, China.
Genes (Basel). 2024 Apr 10;15(4):477. doi: 10.3390/genes15040477.
The number of thoracic vertebrae (NTV) in pigs is an important economic trait that significantly influences pork production. While the Licha black pig is a well-known Chinese pig breed with multiple thoracic vertebrae, the genetic mechanism is still unknown. Here, we performed a selective signal analysis on the genome of Licha black pigs, comparing individuals with 15 NTV versus those with 16 NTV to better understand functional genes associated with NTV. A total of 2265 selection signal regions were detected across the genome, including 527 genes and 1073 QTL that overlapped with the selection signal regions. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that and genes were involved in biological processes such as bone morphogenesis and Wnt protein binding. Furthermore, three genes, , , and , associated with osteoblast differentiation and bone formation, were located within or close to the QTL related to bone development and vertebrae number. These five genes were hypothesized to be potential candidates for regulating the NTV trait in Licha black pigs. Our findings revealed several candidate genes that play crucial roles in NTV regulation and provide a theoretical foundation to understand the genetic mechanism of the NTV trait in pig breeding.
猪的胸椎数量（NTV）是一个重要的经济性状，对猪肉生产有显著影响。虽然里岔黑猪是中国著名的具有多个胸椎的猪种，但其遗传机制仍不清楚。在此，我们对里岔黑猪的基因组进行了选择信号分析，比较了胸椎数量为15个的个体与胸椎数量为16个的个体，以更好地了解与胸椎数量相关的功能基因。在全基因组中总共检测到2265个选择信号区域，包括527个基因和1073个与选择信号区域重叠的数量性状位点（QTL）。功能富集分析表明，某些基因参与了骨形态发生和Wnt蛋白结合等生物学过程。此外，与成骨细胞分化和骨形成相关的三个基因，位于与骨骼发育和椎骨数量相关的数量性状位点内或附近。这五个基因被推测为调控里岔黑猪胸椎数量性状的潜在候选基因。我们的研究结果揭示了几个在胸椎数量调控中起关键作用的候选基因，并为理解猪育种中胸椎数量性状的遗传机制提供了理论基础。
