Abstract
Simple SummaryMitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis is a tool in assessing the maternal origin, phylogeny, and population structure of domestic animals. The Ecuadorian Pillareño Creole pig is a creole breed that comes from the descendants of Iberian pig introduced to Ecuador by the Spanish conquerors. This creole population represents important reservoirs of genetic diversity that are very essential to preserve; however, the introduction of new breeds of pigs has displaced this creole pig from Ecuador to the background. The objective of the mitochondrial DNA analysis was to identify the Ecuadorian Pillareño Creole pig populations, their origins, and their maternal lines. For this study, DNA samples from 34 Ecuadorian Pillareño Creole pigs were used, with the animals belonging to seven rural regions of Ecuador. The haplogroup network suggested that the Pillareño creole pig population can be grouped into a single haplotype and that it belongs to the European pig clades. The genetic relationship between the Ecuadorian Pillareño Creole and the European pigs, particularly the Iberian pigs from Spain, can be used to establish of an official breeding program for the conservation and valuation of these creole populations, with this genetic mitochondrial analysis potentially providing a better approach for the rescue of the Ecuadorian Pillareño Creole pig populations.Domestic pig breeds reached America on the second Columbus trip; from this date, Iberian pig genetic resources were disseminated throughout the continent, forming diverse creole breeds. These Ecuadorian Creole pigs are important for food production but have been genetically eroded since the introduction of transboundary breeds. In this study, we sought to characterize this erosion more thoroughly through mitochondrial DNA D-Loop analysis of Ecuadorian Pillareño Creole pigs from seven regions of Ecuador. To allow comparison, we also included in our analysis sequences from wild species, commercial lines, and domestic pigs, which were obtained from the NCBI GenBank database. Creole pigs’ population showed overall moderate Hd values and low π values, and a negative value of Tajima’s D was observed. The greatest differentiation from the Ecuadorian Pillareño Creole pigs was observed between Asian wild and Asian domestic pigs. The haplotype analysis revealed three different phylogenetic clades (A, E I, and E II) and 65 haplotypes. Ecuadorian Creole populations were grouped into nine haplotypes for Clade E I and E II, which have not previously been reported for Creole Pillareño populations. Our analysis indicates that in the establishment of Creole Pillareño pigs, individuals most likely separated from the Asian pig population and appear to be genetically influenced by European and Iberian populations raised in Spain.
Highlights
Domestic pig colonization of the American continent started with the second trip of Columbus; in this expedition, several domestic species were carried to the Caribbean islands
After we amplified the 637 bp product from [3] the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) region, 34 sequences were edited and aligned, and 550 bp of the mtDNA D-loop was obtained from DNA samples of Pillareño pigs from Ecuador collected for this study
We present the first results to understand the evolution of the population of Pillareño Creole pig; the analysis suggests a moderate level of haplotype diversity (0.615)
Summary
Domestic pig colonization of the American continent started with the second trip of Columbus; in this expedition, several domestic species were carried to the Caribbean islands. Pigs had a special role because the meat was used to feed the population and to prevent vitamin C deficiency [1]. From the Caribbean archipelago, the pig resources multiplied and were distributed in three main directions. North America, reaching the north of Mexico and the present southwestern United States. The second was to the south of Peru, reaching the Patagonia region. The third was to Central America through the Atlantic ports of Panama and Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, reaching the south of Mexico and the northern countries of South America, including
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