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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #179589
Title: DECIPHERING THE PIG GENOME TO UNDERSTAND GAMETE PRODUCTION

Author
item Rohrer, Gary
item Wise, Thomas
item Ford, Johny

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/2006
Publication Date: 1/30/2006
Citation: Rohrer, G.A., Wise, T.H., Ford, J.J. Deciphering the pig genome to understand gamete production. IN: Control of Pig Reproduction VII. C.J. Ashworth & R.R. Kraeling (Eds) Nottingham University Press. Proc. 7th Intl. Conference on Pig Reproduction, Society of Reprod. & Fertility, Suppl. 62:293-301. 2006

Interpretive Summary: The genetic make-up of an animal and the environment determine an animal's performance but accurate prediction of an animal's performance based on genetic markers is currently not possible. Considerable advances in genomics of pig reproduction have been made for reproductive measures ranging from ovulation rate, litter size and testis size. These studies primarily focused on developing genetic markers to facilitate selection decisions. To date, their results have made minor contributions to commercial pig performance and our knowledge on the inheritance of complex phenotypes. With the availability of additional resources for pig, future studies should be directed to identify genetic mechanisms that affect biological processes. To reach this goal, teams of diversely trained scientists need to be formed that include geneticists, physiologists, molecular biologists and bioinformaticists. A diversified team of scientists equipped with all of the available research tools and appropriate swine populations should be able to decode the genome's hidden secrets on how it controls reproductive processes.

Technical Abstract: The field of livestock genomics has made considerable advances in the past decade. In the area of pig reproduction a number of genome scans have identified several genomic regions associated with variation in reproductive measures ranging from ovulation rate, litter size and testis size. Additionally, several candidate genes have been associated with variation in litter size. These studies focused on developing genetic markers to facilitate selection decisions. Unfortunately, these results are not as dramatic as projected and they have not contributed as much to our knowledge on the inheritance of complex phenotypes as possible. With the availability of additional resources for pig as well as from human and mouse studies, future studies should be directed to identify genetic variation that affects biological processes. To reach this goal, teams of diversely trained scientists need to be formed that include geneticists, physiologists, molecular biologists and bioinformaticists. A diversified team of scientists equipped with all of the available research tools (genomic sequence data, expression arrays, knowledge of gene product functions, etc.) and appropriate swine populations should be able to decode the genome’s hidden secrets on how it controls reproductive processes.