Skip to main content
PMC home page
Genetics logoLink to Genetics
. 2003 Jun;164(2):629–635. doi: 10.1093/genetics/164.2.629

Quantitative trait loci variation for growth and obesity between and within lines of pigs (Sus scrofa).

Yoshitaka Nagamine 1, Chris S Haley 1, Asheber Sewalem 1, Peter M Visscher 1
PMCID: PMC1462585  PMID: 12807783

Abstract

The hypothesis that quantitative trait loci (QTL) that explain variation between divergent populations also account for genetic variation within populations was tested using pig populations. Two regions of the porcine genome that had previously been reported to harbor QTL with allelic effects that differed between the modern pig and its wild-type ancestor and between the modern pig and a more distantly related population of Asian pigs were studied. QTL for growth and obesity traits were mapped using selectively genotyped half-sib families from five domesticated modern populations. Strong support was found for at least one QTL segregating in each population. For all five populations there was evidence of a segregating QTL affecting fatness in a region on chromosome 7. These findings confirm that QTL can be detected in highly selected commercial populations and are consistent with the hypothesis that the same chromosome locations that account for variation between populations also explain genetic variation within populations.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (85.2 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Andersson L., Haley C. S., Ellegren H., Knott S. A., Johansson M., Andersson K., Andersson-Eklund L., Edfors-Lilja I., Fredholm M., Hansson I. Genetic mapping of quantitative trait loci for growth and fatness in pigs. Science. 1994 Mar 25;263(5154):1771–1774. doi: 10.1126/science.8134840. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barton N. H., Keightley P. D. Understanding quantitative genetic variation. Nat Rev Genet. 2002 Jan;3(1):11–21. doi: 10.1038/nrg700. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Belknap J. K., Metten P., Helms M. L., O'Toole L. A., Angeli-Gade S., Crabbe J. C., Phillips T. J. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) applications to substances of abuse: physical dependence studies with nitrous oxide and ethanol in BXD mice. Behav Genet. 1993 Mar;23(2):213–222. doi: 10.1007/BF01067426. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bidanel J. P., Milan D., Iannuccelli N., Amigues Y., Boscher M. Y., Bourgeois F., Caritez J. C., Gruand J., Le Roy P., Lagant H. Detection of quantitative trait loci for growth and fatness in pigs. Genet Sel Evol. 2001 May-Jun;33(3):289–309. doi: 10.1186/1297-9686-33-3-289. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dekkers Jack C. M., Hospital Frédéric. The use of molecular genetics in the improvement of agricultural populations. Nat Rev Genet. 2002 Jan;3(1):22–32. doi: 10.1038/nrg701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Evans G. J., Giuffra E., Sanchez A., Kerje S., Davalos G., Vidal O., Illán S., Noguera J. L., Varona L., Velander I. Identification of quantitative trait loci for production traits in commercial pig populations. Genetics. 2003 Jun;164(2):621–627. doi: 10.1093/genetics/164.2.621. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Frary A., Nesbitt T. C., Grandillo S., Knaap E., Cong B., Liu J., Meller J., Elber R., Alpert K. B., Tanksley S. D. fw2.2: a quantitative trait locus key to the evolution of tomato fruit size. Science. 2000 Jul 7;289(5476):85–88. doi: 10.1126/science.289.5476.85. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Grobet L., Poncelet D., Royo L. J., Brouwers B., Pirottin D., Michaux C., Ménissier F., Zanotti M., Dunner S., Georges M. Molecular definition of an allelic series of mutations disrupting the myostatin function and causing double-muscling in cattle. Mamm Genome. 1998 Mar;9(3):210–213. doi: 10.1007/s003359900727. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hayes B., Goddard M. E. The distribution of the effects of genes affecting quantitative traits in livestock. Genet Sel Evol. 2001 May-Jun;33(3):209–229. doi: 10.1186/1297-9686-33-3-209. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Keightley P. D., Knott S. A. Testing the correspondence between map positions of quantitative trait loci. Genet Res. 1999 Dec;74(3):323–328. doi: 10.1017/s0016672399004176. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kim K. S., Larsen N., Short T., Plastow G., Rothschild M. F. A missense variant of the porcine melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) gene is associated with fatness, growth, and feed intake traits. Mamm Genome. 2000 Feb;11(2):131–135. doi: 10.1007/s003350010025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Knott S. A., Marklund L., Haley C. S., Andersson K., Davies W., Ellegren H., Fredholm M., Hansson I., Hoyheim B., Lundström K. Multiple marker mapping of quantitative trait loci in a cross between outbred wild boar and large white pigs. Genetics. 1998 Jun;149(2):1069–1080. doi: 10.1093/genetics/149.2.1069. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mackay T. F. Quantitative trait loci in Drosophila. Nat Rev Genet. 2001 Jan;2(1):11–20. doi: 10.1038/35047544. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Milan D., Jeon J. T., Looft C., Amarger V., Robic A., Thelander M., Rogel-Gaillard C., Paul S., Iannuccelli N., Rask L. A mutation in PRKAG3 associated with excess glycogen content in pig skeletal muscle. Science. 2000 May 19;288(5469):1248–1251. doi: 10.1126/science.288.5469.1248. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Paterson A. H., Lander E. S., Hewitt J. D., Peterson S., Lincoln S. E., Tanksley S. D. Resolution of quantitative traits into Mendelian factors by using a complete linkage map of restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Nature. 1988 Oct 20;335(6192):721–726. doi: 10.1038/335721a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rohrer G. A., Keele J. W. Identification of quantitative trait loci affecting carcass composition in swine: I. Fat deposition traits. J Anim Sci. 1998 Sep;76(9):2247–2254. doi: 10.2527/1998.7692247x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Seaton George, Haley Chris S., Knott Sara A., Kearsey Mike, Visscher Peter M. QTL Express: mapping quantitative trait loci in simple and complex pedigrees. Bioinformatics. 2002 Feb;18(2):339–340. doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/18.2.339. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Talbot C. J., Nicod A., Cherny S. S., Fulker D. W., Collins A. C., Flint J. High-resolution mapping of quantitative trait loci in outbred mice. Nat Genet. 1999 Mar;21(3):305–308. doi: 10.1038/6825. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Walling G. A., Archibald A. L., Cattermole J. A., Downing A. C., Finlayson H. A., Nicholson D., Visscher P. M., Walker C. A., Haley C. S. Mapping of quantitative trait loci on porcine chromosome 4. Anim Genet. 1998 Dec;29(6):415–424. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2052.1998.296360.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Walling G. A., Archibald A. L., Cattermole J. A., Downing A. C., Finlayson H. A., Nicholson D., Visscher P. M., Walker C. A., Haley C. S. Mapping of quantitative trait loci on porcine chromosome 4. Anim Genet. 1998 Dec;29(6):415–424. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2052.1998.296360.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wilson T., Wu X. Y., Juengel J. L., Ross I. K., Lumsden J. M., Lord E. A., Dodds K. G., Walling G. A., McEwan J. C., O'Connell A. R. Highly prolific Booroola sheep have a mutation in the intracellular kinase domain of bone morphogenetic protein IB receptor (ALK-6) that is expressed in both oocytes and granulosa cells. Biol Reprod. 2001 Apr;64(4):1225–1235. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod64.4.1225. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. de Koning D. J., Janss L. L., Rattink A. P., van Oers P. A., de Vries B. J., Groenen M. A., van der Poel J. J., de Groot P. N., Brascamp E. W., van Arendonk J. A. Detection of quantitative trait loci for backfat thickness and intramuscular fat content in pigs (Sus scrofa). Genetics. 1999 Aug;152(4):1679–1690. doi: 10.1093/genetics/152.4.1679. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. de Koning D. J., Rattink A. P., Harlizius B., van Arendonk J. A., Brascamp E. W., Groenen M. A. Genome-wide scan for body composition in pigs reveals important role of imprinting. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Jul 5;97(14):7947–7950. doi: 10.1073/pnas.140216397. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. de Koning D. J., Rattink A. P., Harlizius B., van Arendonk J. A., Brascamp E. W., Groenen M. A. Genome-wide scan for body composition in pigs reveals important role of imprinting. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Jul 5;97(14):7947–7950. doi: 10.1073/pnas.140216397. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Genetics are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES