Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026
07:34
Quantification of Circulating Pig-Specific DNA in the Blood of a Xenotransplantation Model
Published on: September 22, 2020
4.5K
A genome scan for selection signatures in pigs
Yunlong Ma1, Julong Wei1, Qin Zhang1
1Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China.
Plos One
|March 11, 2015
Summary
This study identified selection signatures in pig breeds using four methods. Key genes related to fertility, coat color, and ear morphology were found, highlighting breed diversity.
Area of Science:
- Animal Genetics
- Genomics
- Population Genetics
Background:
- Identifying selection signatures aids understanding of artificial selection mechanisms.
- Uncovering causal genes for phenotypic variation is crucial in livestock breeding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detect selection signatures across the whole genome in Chinese indigenous (Rongchang, Songliao) and Western (Landrace, Yorkshire) pig breeds.
- To identify candidate genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with important economic traits.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Illumina Porcine60KSNP chip data.
- Employed four complementary methods: Long-Range Haplotype (LRH), Tajima's D, Cross Population Extend Haplotype Homozygosity Test (XPEHH), and FST.
- Implemented False Discovery Rate (FDR) for controlling false positive rates.
Main Results:
- Identified 127-179 candidate selection regions per breed, spanning 92.38-130.30 Mb.
- Found significant overlaps between Western breeds (Landrace and Yorkshire) and between Western and Chinese breeds.
- Bioinformatics analysis revealed genes/QTLs related to fertility, coat color, and ear morphology within identified regions.
Conclusions:
- Confirmed previously reported selected genes (e.g., LEMD3, MC1R, KIT, TRHR).
- Demonstrated the genetic diversity among the studied pig breeds.
- Provided insights into the genetic basis of phenotypic variation driven by artificial selection.
