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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 #336414
Title: Integration of genomic resources to uncover pleiotropic regions associated with age at puberty and reproductive longevity in sows

Author
item CIOBANU, D - University Of Nebraska
item WIJESENA, H - University Of Nebraska
item Lents, Clay
item TRENHAILE, M - University Of Nebraska
item RIETHOVEN, J - University Of Nebraska
item Thorson, Jennifer
item Keel, Brittney
item MILLER, P - University Of Nebraska
item SPANGLER, S - University Of Nebraska
item KACHMAN, S - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/18/2016
Publication Date: 1/18/2017
Citation: Ciobanu, D.C., Wijesena, H.R., Lents, C.A., Trenhaile, M.D., Riethoven, J.J., Thorson, J., Keel, B.N., Miller, P.S., Spangler, S.D., Kachman, S.D. 2017. Integration of genomic resources to uncover pleiotropic regions associated with age at puberty and reproductive longevity in sows [abstract]. In: Proceedings of Plant and Animal Genome Conference, San Diego, CA, 14-18 January 2017. W919. Paper 25071. Available: https://pag.confex.com/pag/xxv/meetingsapp.cgi/Paper/25071.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Commercial and experimental genetic resources were used to investigate genetic pleiotropic factors that influence age at puberty, litter-size and reproductive longevity. The phenotypes were complemented by high-density genotyping and whole genome and RNA sequencing. The SNPs from Porcine SNP60 BeadArray explained 25.2% of the phenotypic variation for age at puberty and less for litter-size traits or lifetime number of parities (<10%). The top 1% major 1-Mb windows explained 6.7% of the genetic variance for age at puberty and included genes involved in reproductive processes from progesterone secretion to placental development and embryo implantation. Due to differences in linkage disequilibrium in an evaluation data set, the predictive potential of all the SNPs from major 1-Mb windows (12.3-36.8%) was larger compared to the most informative SNPs from these window (6.5-23.7%). The limited capability of the BeadArray was complemented by polymorphisms discovered by genome sequencing of selected sires (n=20, >20X) in order to uncover functional variants responsible for the phenotypic differences. The role of gene expression in explaining variation of age at puberty was assessed by RNA sequencing of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus in gilts with different pubertal status (n=37). Seventy genes were differentially expressed between early and late pubertal gilts (Padj<0.1), including genes involved in reproductive processes. We expect that integration of all these approaches will provide an improvement in the accuracy of genomic prediction by employing functional information responsible for the early onset of puberty and reproductive longevity.