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Title: Body composition of transgenic pigs expressing the myostatin pro domain

Author
item Mitchell, Alva
item Wall, Robert

Submitted to: American Society of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/7/2008
Publication Date: 7/7/2008
Citation: Mitchell, A.D., Wall, R.J. 2008. Body composition of transgenic pigs expressing the myostatin pro domain. Journal of Animal Science 86 (E-Suppl. 2): 423 (Abstract #TH64).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Previous results have shown that male mice expressing a myostatin pro domain construct (MLC-Pro) have increased body weight, more total body lean mass, and lower percentage of total body fat. Founder transgenic (TG) pigs were generated by standard pronuclear microinjection techniques using the same MLC-Pro construct. Subsequently, MLC-pro TG and littermate control pigs were produced by mating a G-2 TG boar with non-TG females. The purpose of this study was to use dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to monitor, in vivo, the course of changes in body composition of female control (n = 19) and female MLC-Pro TG (n = 19) pigs between 60 and 120 kg BWT. The female TG pigs expressing the MLC-Pro construct has less total body lean mass at 60, 100 and 120 kg BWT when compared to littermate controls (P < 0.05). Consequently, at the same weights the TG females had a higher (P < 0.05) percentage of total body fat (9.0 vs. 11.2, 14.4 vs. 19.3, and 15.3 vs. 20.9%, respectively). There was no difference in total body bone mineral content. When the pigs were restrictively fed at maintenance energy intake for eight weeks starting at either 60 or 100 kg BWT, the change in body composition was similar for TG and control pigs. Likewise, when the pigs restricted at 60 kg were subsequently fed ad libitum to 100 kg, the response was similar for TG and control pigs. These results indicate that TG female pigs expressing the MLC-Pro construct have a higher percentage of total body fat compared littermate controls and that these differences persist during a period of restricted intake.