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Assessing breed integrity of Göttingen Minipigs
Christian Reimer1,2, Ngoc-Thuy Ha3,4, Ahmad Reza Sharifi3,4
1Department of Animal Sciences, Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, University of Göttingen, Albrecht-Thaer-Weg 3, 37017, Göttingen, Germany. creimer@gwdg.de.
BMC Genomics
|April 18, 2020
Summary
Genetic analysis of Göttingen Minipigs (GMP) reveals differentiation between isolated colonies, primarily due to genetic drift. While the breed is distinct, further animal exchange is not yet necessary, though one colony shows unique genetic traits.
Area of Science:
- Animal genetics
- Genomics
- Biomedical research
Background:
- Göttingen Minipigs (GMP) are the smallest commercially available minipigs, bred in five isolated colonies globally.
- Genetic isolation poses a risk of stratification, potentially compromising breed identity and utility as an animal model.
- Whole genome re-sequencing was performed on DNA pools from each colony to assess genomic differentiation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess genomic differentiation within and between isolated Göttingen Minipig colonies.
- To evaluate the genetic identity and uniformity of the Göttingen Minipig breed.
- To identify potential genetic risks or unique characteristics within GMP subpopulations.
Main Methods:
- Whole genome re-sequencing of DNA pools from five isolated GMP colonies.
- Comparative genomics with 13 other pig breeds.
- Phylogenetic tree construction, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and FST analysis.
- Functional Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) annotation and F-test for allele frequency differences.
Main Results:
- Göttingen Minipigs are genetically distinct from other pig breeds, with observable differentiation among GMP colonies.
- 4-8% of loci showed significantly different allele frequencies between GMP colonies, suggesting genetic drift.
- Functionally non-neutral loci exhibited less differentiation; deleterious mutations were identified in specific genes within GMPs.
Conclusions:
- Genetic differentiation is mainly attributed to drift in neutral genome regions, not directed selection.
- Current genetic differentiation does not necessitate immediate animal exchange between colonies.
- The Relliehausen colony is genetically unique and may be valuable for future GMP uniformity maintenance.
