Molecular markers and their importance for pig production and breeding: an overview

Abstract

The DNA polymorphisms are changes in the sequence of nucleotide bases that result in genetic differences among two or more individuals. These polymorphisms have been used as molecular markers and contribute to studies in swine related to genetic diversity, pedigree analysis, selection, and discovery of genomic regions controlling economically important traits. Among the molecular markers, Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and Copy Number Variations (CNVs) have been most studied in pigs mainly due to their greater abundance in the genome, ease of detection and possibility of automation. The knowledge and application of information from molecular marker shave contribute to a more efficient and competitive pig production. Furthermore, in pig breeding programs, the molecular markers are especially important to allow higher efficiency in selection for traits with low heritability, difficult or expensive to measure, sex-limited, and that express later in the animal’s life, resulting in a higher prediction accuracy for these traits. Considering the relevance of DNA molecular markers for the development of pig production and the advances in research in this area, we aimed to present an overview of the main research results related to the discovery, contribution and implementation of molecular markers in pig breeding and production. This review contextualizes and summarizes important results and recent findings in order to update the reader and stimulate future research based on the identification and relevance of molecular markers applied to pig production.