Abstract
Among swine genetic markers, the highly polymorphic swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) is one of the key determinants, associated with not only immune responses but also reproductive performance and meat quality. The objective of this study was to characterize the SLA class I and II diversities in the commercial pig populations. In this study, a total number of 158 pigs (126 gilts and 32 boars) were randomly selected from different breeding herds of five major pig-producing companies, which covered ~70% of Thai swine production. The results indicate that a moderate level of SLA diversity was maintained in the Thai swine population, despite the performance-oriented breeding scheme. The highly common SLA class I alleles were SLA-1*08:XX, SLA-2*02:XX, and SLA-3*04:XX at a combined frequency of 30.1, 18.4, and 34.5%, respectively, whereas DRB1*04:XX, DQB1*02:XX and DQA*02:XX were the common class II alleles at 22.8, 33.3, and 38.6%, respectively. The haplotype Lr-32.0 (SLA-1*07:XX, SLA-2*02:XX, and SLA-3*04:XX) and Lr-0.23 (DRB1*10:XX, DQB1*06:XX, DQA* 01:XX) was the most common SLA class I and II haplotype, at 15.5 and 14.6%, respectively. Common class I and II haplotypes were also observed, which Lr-22.15 was the most predominant at 11.1%, followed by Lr-32.12 and Lr-4.2 at 10.8 and 7.9%, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of SLA class I and II diversities in the commercial pigs in Southeast Asia. The information of the common SLA allele(s) in the population could facilitate swine genetic improvement and future vaccine design.
Highlights
The porcine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is known as the swine leukocyte antigens (SLA) and has a very similar structure to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)
Similar to other MHC loci, SLA polymorphisms reside mainly in regions encoding the peptide-binging groove, SLA alleles were assigned into group according to their polymorphisms in the exon 2 and 3 for SLA class I (α1 and α2 domains) and exon 2 (β1 domain) for SLA class II [2]
A total number of 30 SLA class I allelic groups were identified in the study population, of which a higher diversity was observed in gilts than boars (24 vs. 18 from 38 SLA class I alleles)
Summary
The porcine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is known as the swine leukocyte antigens (SLA) and has a very similar structure to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA). The SLA class I and II regions encode the MHC class I and II, respectively, while the class III region encodes genes important for immune defenses and inflammation [1, 2]. SLA Diversity in Commercial Pigs are designated with number, i.e., SLA-1, 2, and 3 to prevent misinterpretation as being direct HLA orthologs [1, 3, 4]. These three SLA class I proteins are constitutively expressed and functional on the surface of all nucleated cells. Similar to other MHC loci, SLA polymorphisms reside mainly in regions encoding the peptide-binging groove, SLA alleles were assigned into group according to their polymorphisms in the exon 2 and 3 for SLA class I (α1 and α2 domains) and exon 2 (β1 domain) for SLA class II [2]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
