Genetics of litter size and foetal loss in pigs
Funded by: British Pig Executive
An understanding of the genetic control of porcine female reproductive performance would offer opportunities to utilize natural variation and improve selective breeding programs through marker-assisted selection. The Chinese Meishan is one of the most prolific pig breeds known, farrowing three to five more viable piglets per litter than the European Large White breed. This difference in prolificacy is attributed to the Meishan’s superior prenatal survival levels. In an earlier study a locus on pig chromosome 8 was shown to influence both embryo survival and litter size. In the current study the search for genes influencing litter size will be extended to all chromosomes. The locus on chromosome 8 will be mapped at higher resolution in order to identify candidates for the gene responsible for the observed effects. The role of such genes in the interaction between the sow and her developing embryos will be examined. [Co-supervised by Prof Cheryl Ashworth, Prof Chris Haley]
Relevant references:
King et al., 2003. Mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting female reproductive traits on porcine chromosome 8. Biology of Reproduction 68, 2172-2179. [PMID: 12606397]