Abstract
Simple SummaryAn increase in the number of ribs (RIB) could improve carcass length (CL) and body size. Cannon bone circumference (CBC) is a pivotal body size trait, and a large CBC could enhance the capacity to bear excessive body weight, vigorous exercise, and resistance to injuries. Several researchers showed that the vertnin (VRTN) gene g.20311_20312ins291 (NC_010449.5 7: g.20311_20312ins291) is an important variant that is related to RIB and CL of Western pigs. However, it is unknown whether this variant could affect the CBC of pigs. Our study showed that this variant was significantly associated with RIB, carcass diagonal length (CDL), and CBC in Suhuai pigs; therefore, it could be used as a potential molecular marker for improving RIB, CDL, and CBC in this breed.The vertnin (VRTN) gene g.20311_20312ins291 was reported as an important variant related to the number of ribs (RIB), and the ins/ins genotype was advantageous for improving RIB of Western pigs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the VRTN gene g.20311_20312ins291 influences RIB, carcass traits, and body size traits, including cannon bone circumference (CBC) in Chinese Suhuai pigs. We found that the VRTN gene g.20311_20312ins291 was polymorphic in Suhuai fattening pigs and gilts. The polymorphism of g.20311_20312ins291 was significantly associated with RIB and CDL in Suhuai fattening pigs (p < 0.01), whereas this variant had no influence on carcass weight (CWT). There was a tendency of association between this variant and carcass straight length (CSL) in Suhuai fattening pigs (p = 0.06). The polymorphism of g.20311_20312ins291 was also significantly associated with CBC in Suhuai gilts (p = 0.04). Furthermore, CBC was positively genetically correlated with body length (0.22, p < 0.01) and body weight (0.15, p < 0.01). Our results indicated that the VRTN gene g.20311_20312ins291 could be used as a potential marker for improving RIB, CDL, and CBC in Suhuai pigs.
Highlights
Carcass traits, such as weight and length, are of economic importance in meat production.Increasing body size traits such as body length, chest circumference, and cannon bone circumference are goals pursued in pig breeding in China
655 experimental animals were provided by Huaiyin breeding farm (Huaian, China), including 335 healthy Suhuai fattening pigs (SH-F) and 320 healthy Suhuai gilts (SH-G) that were raised under the same feeding and management conditions
We measured the number of ribs (RIB), carcass straight length (CSL), carcass diagonal length (CDL), and carcass weight (CWT) of SH-F
Summary
Carcass traits, such as weight and length, are of economic importance in meat production.Increasing body size traits such as body length, chest circumference, and cannon bone circumference are goals pursued in pig breeding in China. Carcass traits, such as weight and length, are of economic importance in meat production. A series of studies demonstrated that the number of vertebrae is an economic trait that affects carcass length and meat production [1]. The vertebrae of pigs are classified into five parts, including cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and caudal vertebrae. The numbers of cervical vertebrae, sacral vertebrae, and caudal vertebrae of pigs are fixed at 7, 4, and 5, respectively [4]. The thoracic and lumbar vertebrae are the main components of the vertebrae, and there is a large range of variations in their number. The thoracic vertebral number (TVN) ranges from 13 to 17, and the lumbar vertebral number (LVN) ranges from 5 to 7 in Western modern breeds [2,5]. There are 19 thoracic-lumbar vertebrae in wild boar, and the total numbers of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae ranged from 19 to 20 in Chinese indigenous breeds [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
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 call
