Abstract
Abstract. We investigated the effect of the estrogen receptor (ESR) and ryanodine receptor (RYR1) genes on total number of born (TNB), number of born alive (NBA) and number of weaned (NW) piglets in Large White (LW), White Meaty (WM) and Landrace (L) sows from six Slovak breeding farms. We found a significant effect of ESR locus on NW (P≤0.01) in LW, however, we observed a negative effect of BB genotype on the trait. In WM, positive associations of B allele with TNB, NBA, NW were found but the differences were not confirmed statistically. A highly significant effect (P≤0.01) of ESR locus on TNB (+0.62±0.18 pigs per copy of B allele), NBA (+0.65±0.18) and NW (+0.51±0.16) was identified in L breed. With RYR1 gene we found significantly higher TNB and NBA in heterozygous WM sows (+1.01±0.36 in TNB; +0.87±0.32 in NBA; P≤0.01). NBA was also significant in LW (+0.41±0.19; P≤0.05).
Highlights
Reproduction plays a key role in the successful production of farm animals
We investigated the effect of the estrogen receptor (ESR) and ryanodine receptor (RYR1) genes on total number of born (TNB), number of born alive (NBA) and number of weaned (NW) piglets in Large White (LW), White Meaty (WM) and Landrace (L) sows from six Slovak breeding farms
The loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in all tested herds excepting herd IV which was reflected in significant difference in whole WM population
Summary
Reproduction plays a key role in the successful production of farm animals. Selection for increased litter size is rather difficult because of low heritability of this trait. The identification of genes or genetic markers associated with reproductive traits in pigs could have a great economic impact on pork production. Such genetic polymorphisms could be employed in marker-assisted selection programs to improve reproductive efficiency. OMELKA et al.: Effect of the estrogen receptor (ESR) and ryanodine receptor (RYR1) genes on reproductive traits of pigs. The B allele segregates in Large White breed and the effect varies from 0.31 to 0.42 pigs per litter in first and later parities (SHORT et al, 1997). The aim of our work was to determine frequencies of the ESR and RYR1 genotypes and alleles and to estimate their associations with some reproductive traits in Large White, White Meaty and Landrace pigs from Slovakia
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