Genome-wide association study reveals new QTL and functional candidate genes for the small intestine length and cecum-colon length in Yorkshire pigs.

ABSTRACT: The lengths of a pig's small intestine length (SIL) and cecum-colon length (C-CIL) are crucial for nutrient absorption and substantially affect feed utilization efficiency. Thus, selecting for increased intestinal lengths could enhance feed digestibility. However, conventional methods for measuring these traits pose considerable challenges. To address these drawbacks, we explored the use of molecular breeding techniques to refine the selection process. In this study, 413 age-matched Yorkshire barrows were humanely killed, and their SIL and C-CIL were measured. Genotyping was conducted using a 50K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, and the SNP-chip data were imputed to whole-genome sequencing data (iWGS). The heritability estimates for SIL and C-CIL were 0.25 and 0.26, respectively

SUBMITTER: Xu L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12205944 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature