Association between polymorphisms inand litter size traits in Xiangsu pigs.

Abstract

The newborn ovary homeobox gene () regulates ovarian and early oocyte development, and thus plays an essential role in reproduction. In this study, the mRNA expression level and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) ofin various tissues of Xiangsu pigs were studied to explore the relationship between its polymorphism and litter size traits. Also, bioinformatics was used to evaluate the effects of missense substitutions on protein structure and function. The results revealed thatis preferentially expressed in the ovary. Six mutations were detected in thesequence, including g.1624 T>C, g.1858 G>A, g.2770 G>A, g.2821 A>G, g.5659 A>G, and g.6025 T>A, of which g.1858 G>A was a missense mutation. However, only g.1858 G>A, g.5659 A>G, and g.6025 T>A were significantly associated with litter size traits (&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05). Further prediction of the effect of the missense mutation g.1858 G>A on protein function revealed that p.V82M is a non-conservative mutation that significantly reduces protein stability and thus alters protein function. Overall, these findings suggest thatpolymorphism is closely related to the litter size of Xiangsu pigs, which may provide new insights into pig breeding.