Pig Genotypes Research Articles

Characterizing local pig breeds as reservoirs for the domestic pig genetic variability worldwide via contributions to gene diversity and allelic richness.

Contributions to gene diversity and allelic richness were computed in a total of 2,260 domestic pig genotypes, sharing 53,626 autosomal SNPs, belonging to 98 pig subpopulations worldwide (41 Asian, 696 genotypes; 20 American, 262 genotypes; and 37 European, 686 genotypes), using 616 pig samples belonging to six different Cosmopolitan pig breeds as an outgroup, to ascertain if local pig subpopulation can be considered reservoirs of genetic diversity for the whole domestic pig species worldwide. Assessments were carried out for the whole dataset and separately for the American-European and Asian subsets. Effective population size was computed at the subpopulation level using molecular coancestry and linkage disequilibrium information to ensure that estimates of contributions to diversity were not affected by demographic issues. Most American and European pig subpopulations tended to have favorable contributions to both gene diversity and allelic richness. However, contributions to allelic richness were more consistent than those obtained for gene diversity, whether the computations are performed using either the whole dataset or the American-Asian subset, suggesting that allelic richness can be a key parameter to identify putative reservoirs for the species. The Asian pig subpopulations never contributed favorably to the allelic richness of the domestic pig metapopulation. Although these results can partially be explained by the highly divergent origins of the American-European and the Asian pig subpopulations, it cannot be discarded that the results obtained for the Asian subpopulations are biased due to a worse calling performance of the pig SNP arrays used for genotyping. The use of other potentially less biased sources of genotypic information is advisable to compare the Asian and American-European pig subpopulations genetic diversity.

Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Lipid Oxidation in Pigs’ Fed Diets Containing Grape Pomace

Grape pomace is a winery byproduct that is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant capacity. This study investigated the effect of 0, 5, and 10% inclusion of dehydrated grape pomace (DGP) in finishing pig diets on the growth performance, carcass traits, fatty acid profile, fresh meat quality, and fat stability of a local pig genotype. A total of 36 pigs, 18 barrows, and 18 gilts (83.23 ± 6.03 kg and 132.1 ± 5.6 days old) were allotted in a randomized block design considering the initial weight (block) within sex, with six replicates of each sex per treatment. Including DGP in the diets did not affect daily weight gain or the feed-to-gain ratio; however, daily feed intake increased linearly (p < 0.05) and backfat thickness at the last rib, backfat thickness at the first sacral vertebrae, P2 backfat thickness, fat area, and the percentage of lean meat decreased linearly (p < 0.05) in pigs. The inclusion of DGP in pig diets did not affect the antioxidant potential evaluated by thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in mini hamburgers or the quality characteristics of fresh meat, except for intramuscular fat (EE). The dietary inclusion of DGP linearly increased (p < 0.05) EE, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and Σω-3 and reduced the ω-6:ω-3 ratio in a linear way (p < 0.05) in the loin of pigs. We concluded that it is feasible to include up to 10% of DGP in pig diets without affecting growth performance, but carcass quality may be impaired due to increased adiposity. Furthermore, meat quality can be improved by increasing intramuscular fat and ω-3 fatty acid content, but fat stability is not affected when DGP is included at up to 10% of the diet for 49 days prior to slaughter.

Organic rearing of non-castrated male pigs: welfare indicators, carcass traits, pork quality and boar taint in Duroc and Pietrain crossbreds

The main principles of organic farming as presented by the European organisation for organic food and farming are health, ecology, fairness and care, but the intrinsic quality of products is also important for consumers. Pig genotype was tested as a lever to improve animal welfare and pork quality (meat tenderness, processing ability) of organic, non-castrated males while controlling the risk for boar taint. Non-castrated Large White × Duroc (D, n = 47) or Large White × Pietrain NN (P, n = 34) males were involved in two batches, each including one group of pigs per genotype. Each group was reared in a pen from the same building on deep straw bedding (1.3 m2/pig), with a feeding zone (0.2 m2/pig) and an outdoor area (1.0 m2/pig), from 28 kg BW until slaughter at ca. 125 kg BW. All pigs received ad libitum the same growing and finishing diets, and hay. Overall, health and welfare indicators showed few problems, but the proportions of pigs with skin scratches, and tail lesions at the end of the finishing period, were lower in D than in P pigs (P < 0.05). Growth rate and final BW did not differ between genotypes. The D pigs had lower carcass lean meat content (P < 0.001) and relative proportions of ham and loin (P ≤ 0.01), and higher proportions of belly and backfat (P ≤ 0.001) than P pigs. Compared to P, loin (Longissimus muscle) of D pigs was less light and exudative and had higher chroma (P < 0.05), but pH 24 h and glycolytic potential did not differ. Loin meat of D pigs had higher intramuscular fat content (P < 0.001) and tended to have a lower shear force (P = 0.09), but cooking loss did not differ. In the ham muscles, D pigs had higher chroma than P pigs in the Gluteus medius, whereas pH 24 h did not differ in the Gluteus medius and Semimembranosus. D pigs had higher backfat concentrations of androstenone (P < 0.001), and skatole and indole (P < 0.05) than P pigs, suggesting a higher risk of rejection by consumers due to boar taint. However, only one D carcass was detected as tainted by human nose test. Altogether, organic farming of non-castrated Duroc crossbred males appears to be favourable for animal welfare, technological and several sensory pork properties provided that the risk of undesirable odours is limited through management practices.

African Local Pig Genetic Resources in the Context of Climate Change Adaptation.

Africa is home to a wide diversity of locally adapted pig breeds whose genetic architecture offers important insights into livestock adaptation to climate change. However, the majority of these inherent traits have not been fully highlighted. This review presents an overview of the current state of African pig genetic resources, providing highlights on their population and production statistics, production system, population diversity indices, and genomic evidence underlying their evolutionary potential. The study results reveal an incomplete characterization of local pig genotypes across the continent. The characterized population, however, demonstrates moderate to high levels of genetic diversity, enough to support breeding and conservation programs. Owing to low genetic differentiation and limited evidence of distinct population structures, it appears that most local pig populations are strains within larger breeds. Genomic evidence has shown a higher number of selection signatures associated with various economically important traits, thus making them potential candidates for climate change adaptation. The reportedly early evidence of hybridization with wild suid groups further suggests untapped insights into disease resistance and resilience traits that need to be illuminated using higher-density markers. Nevertheless, gene introgression from commercial breeds is prevalent across Africa; thus, efforts to realize and utilize these traits must increase before they are permanently depleted.

Production traits of pigs of intrabreed type “Pripyatsky” in Landrace breed at breeding enterprises

To meet the population’s demand for meat pork, breeding programs aimed at breeding and selection of pigs with high reproductive, fattening and meat traits were carried out for several decades. Over the years, a number of new types, lines and breeds of pigs were created and tested in the world. It should be noted that the gene pool of foreign super-meat breeds (Pietrain; Duroc; Danish, French, German, Canadian Landrace and Yorkshire) was used to some extent in the development of new domestic meat genotypes of pigs. A rational use of the genetic potential of farm animals allows accelerating the selection to improve their reproductive, fattening and meat traits. The Republic of Belarus arranged its own production of high-value animals represented by intrabreed type-pigs in the Landrace breed with the following productivity indicators: prolificacy – 12.5 animal units, milk yield – 65.5 kg, number of piglets at weaning – 11.6 animal units, litter weight at weaning at the age of 30 days – 91.6 kg, meat content in carcass – 65–67 %, well adapted to the technological conditions of breeding and industrial complexes, providing the overall need of pig breeding in obtaining high-quality pork; saving foreign currency for import; the possibility of exporting finished products to CIS countries.

Assimilation of feed nutrients by Pietren breed pigs depending on their sex

Each breed and type of pig is characterized by its unique complex of biological properties. In addition, pigs of different sexes realize their genetic potential to a different extent. Therefore, research aimed at optimizing the feeding rations of different sex-age groups in pigs of meat genotypes, namely the Pietren breed, depending on their sex, is relevant. Objective. To determine the efficiency of assimilation offeed nutrients by pigs of the Pietren breed, depending on their gender. Methods. The research was conducted in the conditions of the physiological yard of the Institute of Pig Breeding and AIP of the NAAS on 12 pigs with an average weight of 65 kg, namely 6 boars and 6 gilts, which were divided into two groups. Selected average samples of feed and excrement were studied in the laboratory offeeding, physiology and animal health of Institute of Pig Breeding and AIP NAAS. The biochemical composition of the blood of experimental young pigs was investigated using commercial kits from the company "Filisit Diagnostics" Ukraine. Results. It was established that the coefficients of digestibility of nutrients offeed for Pietren pigs do not significantly depend on their gender. However, there is a tendency for 3.05 % better digestibility of mineral substances in piglets. Piglets have better digestibility o f fiber and crude protein, respectively, by 19.20 % and 2.65 %. The average daily balance of Nitrogen and Magnesium did not differ significantly. As for the average daily balance of Calcium and Phosphorus, the excretion of these elements with feces and urine in boars was somewhat less, and it was retained in the body, accordingly, slightly more, but due to the rather significant variability of the indicators, no probable difference between the groups was detected. It was found that the content of Calcium, probably by 17.87 % (р&lt;0.05), and Phosphorus by 9.7%, was higher in the blood of guinea pigs. The content of total protein in the blood plasma of wild boars was probably (p&lt;0.05) higher by 12.5 %, creatinine was probably (p&lt;0.05) higher by 10.44 %, the activity of aspartate aminotransferase was probably (p&lt;0.05) higher by 10.34 %. Conclusions. It was established that the coefficients of digestibility of nutrients offeedfor Pietren pigs do not significantly depend on their gender. However, the analysis of hematological indicators of blood can indicate a higher level of metabolism in boars. Keywords: guinea pigs, pigs, Pietren breed, digestibility coefficient, nutrients, sex, feed, hematological indicators.

Meat and fat qualities of pigs of different breeds

Objective. Study of meat and fat qualities of pigs of different genotypes. The research was conducted on young large white and Poltava meat breeds. Methods. General scientific, interdisciplinary, analytical, zootechnical, physical and chemical. During the fattening period, such indicators as live weight gain and feed consumption per unit of gain, the age of reaching live weight of 100 kg are taken into account. The content of meat, fat and bones in the carcasses, as well as the chemical composition and physical properties of the meat were determined. Results. Observations showed that the average daily increase in the live weight of animals of large white breed during fattening was 690 g, the payment of fodder was 4.22 fodder. unit Young animals reached a live weight of 100 kg in 182 days. Animals of the Poltava meat breed, respectively, 720 g of average daily gain, 3.95 feed. unit and the time to reach a live weight of 100 kg - 170 days. Pigs of the Poltava meat breed surpassed the young of the large white breed in terms of carcass length (by 6.3 cm, or 7.2 %), the weight of the rear third of the half carcass (by 0.75 kg, or 6.6 %) and had thinner (by 5 mm, or 15 %) spigot, evenly distributed along the entire length of the half-carcass. This, in turn, led to a higher yield of the most nutritionally valuable parts ofpork (bone, loin, brisket). The meat of animals of the Poltava meat breed was a little more tender, since it took 35 % less effort to cut its standard sample than the meat of pigs of the large white breed. The meat of pigs of a large white breed was characterized by less boiling and more intensive coloring. The most pronounced were interbreed differences in the chemical composition of pork dishes prepared in different ways. Boiled large white pork contained more moisture (by 3.65 %) and fat (by 4.15 %), but less protein (by 1.1 %). The same pattern was observed in the chemical composition of fried pork. Conclusions. The obtained research results allow us to state that the fleshiness of pig carcasses is a breed, hereditarily determined trait that can be improved by breeding methods. Feeding and housing conditions also affect the productive qualities of pigs, however, their different genotypes react differently and to different degrees to the influence of environmental factors. Keywords: breed, live weight, pork, half carcass length, meat quality, tenderness, chemical composition.

106 Net energy of soybean meal

Abstract Our current net energy (NE) systems were developed based on work conducted around 40 yr ago. At that time, it was normal that pigs deposited no more than 40% of the protein they were fed. However, modern genetic lines are much leaner than older genetics and they deposit more protein than earlier. It is, therefore, not uncommon that protein deposition in modern genotypes exceeds 60% of dietary protein intake. This means that more of the amino acids in the protein-rich ingredients are used for protein deposition and less are being deaminated with a subsequent reduced energetic cost of deamination associated with feeding protein-rich ingredients. As a consequence, the theoretical energy value of protein rich ingredients such as soybean meal (SBM) is greater when fed to modern pigs than to older genotypes that were used when our current NE systems were developed. Indeed, in several recent experiments it was demonstrated that the ME and NE of SBM is greater than indicated in current feed ingredient tables. A greater NE than predicted has also been demonstrated for field peas, whereas corn does not seem to have increased energy value compared with previous estimates, which is consistent with the hypothesis that it is the increased protein efficiency of modern pigs that is the reason for the greater NE value in SBM. As a consequence of the greater NE value of SBM, less added fat need to be used to reach a certain NE level in the diet, which will reduce overall diet costs. However, because of the greater genetic capacity for protein deposition in modern pigs, there is a need to upgrade the NE system and to develop new equations to predict NE in diets and ingredients based on the protein deposition capacity of modern pigs. It can also be argued that because commercially fed pigs always are group housed and allowed ad libitum intake of feed, pigs fed to generate prediction equations for NE also need to be group housed and allowed ad libitum intake of feed because both animal behavior and level of feed intake may affect the NE value of diets. In conclusion, because of the increased ability of modern genotypes of pigs to retain dietary protein in the body, there is reduced deamination of amino acids and therefore reduced energy loss in modern pigs than in older genotypes, which results in greater NE of protein rich ingredients including SBM. There is, therefore, a need for developing a new NE system that preferably uses group-housed pigs that are allowed ad libitum access to feed.

231 Anomaly detection for breed purity analysis

Abstract Recent advancements in genotyping technologies have revolutionized our ability to estimate breed composition in pigs. The classic compositional regression used for this purpose requires a multibreed panel to detect crossbreeding and its application is limited to breed in the panel. In this study, we presented a protocol based on classic anomaly detection algorithms that use single breed panels to detect crossbreeding. By utilizing these methods, we aim to identify and assess breed outliers within large pig genotype panels. The dataset consisted of 44,616 SNP genotypes recorded in purebred Large White, Landrace, Duroc, Pietrain (n = 2,000 from each breed) and 1,010 crossbred pigs (50% Pietrain, 25% Large White, 25% Landrace). Large White pigs (n = 1,500) were randomly selected as reference set. The remaining 500 Large White pigs, other purebred pigs, crossbred pigs, and simulated crossbred animals of known proportion of Large White segments were test sets. We applied two anomaly detection methods: 1) Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and 2) deep learning autoencoders (AE). For PCA the top 600 eigen vectors capturing 85% cumulative proportion of variance in the reference set were selected. Test set genotypes were projected onto the principal components and then they were reconstructed to the full genotype set. For AE, we used a previously published sparse convolutional denoising autoencoder (SCDA) that consisted of two main components: an encoder and a decoder. The encoder compressed the genotypes to 128 components and the decoder reconstructed the set to the original 44,616 SNP. We utilized the model trained in the reference set to reconstruct test set genotypes of the same breed, of alternative breed and of crossbred. Accuracy of reconstruction of genotypes was computed using correlation and mean square error. The proportion of rejected genotypes was used to assess the ability of anomaly detection algorithms to detect crossbreeding. For each criterion, the threshold to reject genotypes was selected as the value at which 5% of Large White animals were rejected (specificity = 0.95). Results are summarized in (Table 1). PCA provided better properties to detect genomic outliers compared with AE. PCA anomaly detection was able to detect purebred individuals with probability 1.0. It also detected over 90% of crossbred individuals that were 75% Large Whites. Crossbred with a lower proportion of Large White genomic segments were detected with P &amp;lt; 0.5. Anomaly detection algorithms can be used to detect genomic outliers but with relatively low sensitivity. More work is needed to optimize these algorithms for breeding applications.

Factors contributing to high performance of sows in free farrowing systems

BackgroundPressure to abolish farrowing crates is increasing, and producers are faced with decisions about which alternative system to adopt. For sow welfare, well designed free farrowing systems without close confinement are considered optimal but producers have concerns about increased piglet mortality, particularly crushing by the sow. Reporting accurate performance figures from commercial farms newly operating such systems could inform the transition process. This study investigated performance on three commercial farms operating four different zero-confinement systems, three of which were newly installed. A total of 3212 litters from 2920 sows were followed from farrowing to weaning over a three-year period with key performance indicators (KPIs) recorded. Mixed Models (LMMs, GLMMs) determined the influence of different factors (e.g. farrowing system, sow parity, management aspects) and litter characteristics on performance, including levels and causes of piglet mortality.ResultsPiglet mortality was significantly influenced by farm/system. Live-born mortality ranged from 10.3 to 20.6% with stillbirths ranging from 2.5 to 5.9%. A larger litter size and higher parity resulted in higher levels of mortality regardless of system. In all systems, crushing was the main cause of piglet mortality (59%), but 31% of sows did not crush any piglets, whilst 26% crushed only one piglet and the remaining sows (43%) crushed two or more piglets. System significantly influenced crushing as a percentage of all deaths, with the system with the smallest spatial footprint (m2) compared to the other systems, recording the highest levels of crushing. Time from the start of the study influenced mortality, with significant reductions in crushing mortality (by ~ 4%) over the course of the three-year study. There was a highly significant effect of length of time (days) between moving sows into the farrowing accommodation and sows farrowing on piglet mortality (P < 0.001). The less time between sows moving in and farrowing, the higher the levels of piglet mortality, with ~ 3% increase in total mortality every five days. System effects were highly significant after adjusting for parity, litter size, and days pre-farrowing.ConclusionThese results from commercial farms demonstrate that even sows that have not been specifically selected for free farrowing are able, in many cases, to perform well in these zero-confinement systems, but that a period of adaptation is to be expected for overall farm performance. There are performance differences between the farms/systems which can be attributed to individual farm/system characteristics (e.g. pen design and management, staff expertise, pig genotypes, etc.). Higher parity sows and those producing very large litters provide a greater challenge to piglet mortality in these free farrowing systems (just as they do in crate systems). Management significantly influences performance, and ensuring sows have plenty of time to acclimatise between moving in to farrowing accommodation and giving birth is a critical aspect of improving piglet survival.

Comparative assessment of methane emissions from the manure of Mexican Creole Hairless Pigs and Commercial Pigs fed the same diet

AbstractPig production contributes significantly to the high environmental footprint of the livestock sector. Therefore, in this framework, a transition toward more sustainable production is essential. Local natural livestock resources, such as Mexican Creole Hairless Pigs, provide a good opportunity to achieve sustainable pig production. In the present study, a first approximation to compare the carbon emissions of Mexican Creole Hairless Pig manure from Commercial Pig manure is presented. Under the same feeding and housing conditions, the specific methane emissions of both Mexican Creole Hairless Pigs and Commercial Pigs manure were determined experimentally at room temperature. In addition, specific methane production kinetics was modeled using the Gompertz equation to estimate the specific methane production rate. The methane emission factors for Mexican Creole Hairless Pig manure (0.33 ± 0.02 kg[CO2‐eq]/LU per day) were half those of Commercial Pig manure (0.7 ± 0.04 kg[CO2‐eq]/LU per day), and biochemical manure analysis suggested that Mexican Creole Hairless Pigs had better digestibility of the diet. In general, due to physiological factors such as food intake rate and gut microbiota development, which could influence the fat and fiber digestibility of Creole genotypes, pig genotype should be included as an additional factor to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from pig manure. The production of Mexican Creole Hairless Pigs in an extensive local system is therefore an attractive option for developing new sustainable markets.

Влияние разных типов вентиляции на показатели продуктивности поросят на доращивании

Particularly important, from the point of view of the safety of the livestock and its further productivity, is the process of growing piglets at weaning, namely the creation of comfortable living conditions that correspond to the physiological norm. If the optimal microclimate in the premises for keeping pigs is disrupted, metabolic processes in their bodies, as well as thermoregulation, lead to a decrease in animal productivity and an increase in feed costs per unit of production. For this reason, studies of zoohygienic parameters of the microclimate, with different ventilation systems, will be relevant for improving the conditions for keeping pigs of this technological group. In order to increase production, it is necessary to identify the most effective systems for regulating zoohygienic parameters, as well as methods and means of keeping pigs of various genotypes throughout the year. This will make it possible to develop scientifically based methods for combining them to realize the genetic potential of pigs, which will help increase meat production. The article examines the influence of various types of ventilation on growth rates in growing piglets. It was found that during the summer and winter periods, the geothermal ventilation system provided higher growth rates compared to the traditional system using wall valves. In the spring, such a difference was not observed, but in the fall, the greatest increase in the body weight of young animals was observed in a pigsty with geothermal ventilation. The season had a significant effect on the productivity of growing piglets, and the type of ventilation and its interaction with the time of year did not have a significant impact on this indicator.

Slaughter and meat qualities of young pigs of modern genotypes at different weight conditions under conditions of industrial technology

Slaughter and meat qualities of young pigs of modern genotypes at different weight conditions under conditions of industrial technology

Signs of individual development and their relationship with fattening and meat qualities in young pigs of different genotypes by the melanocortin receptor gene (MC4R)

Signs of individual development and their relationship with fattening and meat qualities in young pigs of different genotypes by the melanocortin receptor gene (MC4R)

Histological features of muscle tissue structure in young pigs of modern genotypes

Histological features of muscle tissue structure in young pigs of modern genotypes

A compendium of genetic regulatory effects across pig tissues

The Farm Animal Genotype-Tissue Expression (FarmGTEx) project has been established to develop a public resource of genetic regulatory variants in livestock, which is essential for linking genetic polymorphisms to variation in phenotypes, helping fundamental biological discovery and exploitation in animal breeding and human biomedicine. Here we show results from the pilot phase of PigGTEx by processing 5,457 RNA-sequencing and 1,602 whole-genome sequencing samples passing quality control from pigs. We build a pig genotype imputation panel and associate millions of genetic variants with five types of transcriptomic phenotypes in 34 tissues. We evaluate tissue specificity of regulatory effects and elucidate molecular mechanisms of their action using multi-omics data. Leveraging this resource, we decipher regulatory mechanisms underlying 207 pig complex phenotypes and demonstrate the similarity of pigs to humans in gene expression and the genetic regulation behind complex phenotypes, supporting the importance of pigs as a human biomedical model.

Prevalence and structural protein encoding gene sequence (VP) of porcine parvovirus 2 (PPV2) in slaughtered pigs in Central provinces of Vietnam

Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is a DNA virus and causative agent of several reproductive problems in sows. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and analyze the DNA sequence of structural protein encoding gene (VP) of PPV2 genotype in pigs. A total of 146 samples (lung and blood samples) were collected from slaughtered pigs of seven provinces in Central Vietnam during 2018-2019. The overall prevalence of PPV2 was 56.2% (82/146). PPV2 positive rate in each province ranged from 37.5% for Quang Nam to 100% for Quang Binh, with the exception of Da Nang, where no PPV2 positive samples were detected. Nearly complete PPV2-VP gene sequences of three strains were identified with the length of 2,493 nucleotides and deposited in GenBank with accession numbers of OL913365-OL913367. Four nucleotide substitutions were detected in Vietnamese PPV2 isolates and were not observed in PPV2 reference strains. Multiple alignment and comparison of nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences showed the high similarity within Vietnamese PPV2 strains (95.6-96.5% and 94.7-96.9%, respectively). The PPV2 strains from this study clustered together with the "primitive" PPV2 strains from Myanmar, and strains from China in a main clade in the phylogenetic tree (Cluster A). This is the first report on the prevalence of PPV2 genotype and its VP gene sequence in pigs in Vietnam. This also provides the valuable information on the molecular evolution of locally circulating PPV2 and contributes to the control of PPV-induced SMEDI syndrome in sows, especially in the central provinces of Vietnam.

Identification of Putative Novel Rotavirus H VP7, VP4, VP6 and NSP4 Genotypes in Pigs.

Rotavirus H (RVH) has been detected in humans, pigs and bats. Recently, RVH infections were reported in different porcine farms worldwide, suggesting epidemiological relevance. However, to date, the genome information of RVH strains has been limited due to the scarcity of deposited sequences. This study aimed to characterize the VP7, VP4, VP6 and NSP4 genes of RVHs from 27 symptomatic pigs, in Italy, between 2017 and 2021. RVH genes were amplified via RT-PCR using specific primers, and the amplicons were sequenced. By coupling the data generated in this study with the sequences available in the databases, we elaborated a classification scheme useful to genotype the VP7, VP4, VP6 and NSP4 genes. The nucleotide identity and phylogenetic analyses unveiled an impressive genetic heterogeneity and allowed the classification of the Italian RVH strains into 12G (VP7), 6P (VP4), 8I (VP6) and 8E (NSP4) genotypes, of which 6I, 5E and the totality of the G and P genotypes were of novel identification. Our data highlight the high genetic variability of the RVH strains circulating in pigs and underline the importance of a robust classification system to track the epidemiology of RVHs.

Comparative Analysis of Biochemical and Hematological Parameters in Free-Range Pigs of Different Genotypes

This study investigated the biochemical and hematological parameters (at the beginning, after 90 days, and at the end of the experiment) of the pure genotype Black Slavonian (BS) pigs and crossbreeds of Black Slavonian and Duroc (BSxD) pigs, fed the same diet and kept under the same extensive free-range conditions during 200 days of the experiment. In the study, BS and BSxD pigs showed differen- ces in blood protein levels, hinting at dietary disparities. Glucose and triglyceride levels differed between the two groups, affecting energy availability and fat depo- sition. BS pigs showed higher white blood cell counts, while BSxD pigs exhibited more rapid metabolic activity. Alkaline phosphatase activity declined over time, with variations between the groups. Phosphorus and magnesium concentrations decrea- sed with pig growth, reflecting changes in metabolic demands. Hemoglobin, hema- tocrit, and red blood cell counts varied between the groups. MCV and MCH values in BSxD pigs indicated rapid red blood cell production. Platelet counts fluctuated with age. This study offers insights into the influence of genetic characteristics and growth rates impact biochemical and hematological parameters of pigs kept under free-range conditions, aiding swine population management.

Protein turnover in pigs: A review of interacting factors.

Protein turnover defines the balance between two continuous and complex processes of protein metabolism, synthesis and degradation, which determine their deposition in tissues. Although the liver and intestine have been studied extensively for their important roles in protein digestion, absorption and metabolism, the study of protein metabolism has focused mainly on skeletal muscle tissue to understand the basis for its growth. Due to the high adaptability of skeletal muscle, its protein turnover is greatly affected by different internal and external factors, contributing to carcass lean-yield and animal growth. Amino acid (AA) labelling and tracking using isotope tracer methodology, together with the study of myofiber type profiling, signal transduction pathways and gene expression, has allowed the analysis of these mechanisms from different perspectives. Positive stimuli such as increased nutrient availability in the diet (e.g., AA), physical activity, the presence of certain hormones (e.g., testosterone) or a more oxidative myofiber profile in certain muscles or pig genotypes promote increased upregulation of translation and transcription-related genes, activation of mTORC1 signalling mechanisms and increased abundance of satellite cells, allowing for more efficient protein synthesis. However, fasting, animal aging, inactivity and stress, inflammation or sepsis produce the opposite effect. Deepening the understanding of modifying factors and their possible interaction may contribute to the design of optimal strategies to better control tissue growth and nutrient use (i.e., protein and AA), and thus advance the precision feeding strategy.