Development of molecular marker for genetic improvement of heat tolerance influencing pig growth

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K07984
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Animal production science
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Yamada Takahisa 新潟大学, 自然科学系, 教授 (40253207)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 暑熱耐性 / ブタ増体 / 分子マーカー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We detected three FGF21 polymorphisms between two pig groups with high and low heat tolerance in terms of growth trait of fattening pig. One of the three polymorphisms, FGF21-2466, located in 2466 bp upstream of transcription start site was selected as candidate for polymorphism associated with heat tolerance. We established genotyping method of PCR-RFLP with restriction enzyme BccI for FGF21-2466. We compared variance of heat tolerance between two samples of pig born in year 2014 and year 2016. As the result, the variance was larger in year 2016 than in year 2014, irrespective of three periods of heat stress set by three types (date, temperature, and THI) of criteria, suggesting that the pig sample of year 2016 was suitable for evaluation of heat tolerance phenotype. We genotyped FGF21-2466 of the pig sample and performed association study, but could not detect association between the FGF21 polymorphism and heat tolerance.

Free Research Field

動物遺伝学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で、ブタ増体に影響する暑熱耐性とFGF21多型の間に関連は認められなかった。相関解析におけるサンプル数の問題もあるが、FGF21がブタ暑熱耐性の原因遺伝子ではなく、より上流の遺伝子が原因遺伝子である可能性が示唆された。こうして、本研究の成果は当耐性についての世界初の分子マーカーの開発につながり、暑熱ストレスによる増体量の低下を抑制するためのDNA育種改良技術の確立に貢献できる学術的かつ社会的意義をもつ。