Pig growth hormone gene polymorphism and it‘s relation to meat quantitative and qualitative traits

Object and tasks of work. 1. Analyse and summarize literature about growth hormone and it genetic background. 2. Introduce pig GH and GHR genes research methodology at K. Janušauskas Laboratory of Animal Genetics, LVA. 3. Investigate GH and GHR genes polymorphism and distribution of different alleles at Lithuanian pig population by PCR-RFLP method. 4. Create datebase of pig phenothypical traits 5. Determine correlation between restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in GH and GHR genes and pig phenothypical traits. Research methodology. 1. DNA extraction from hair roots. 2. PCR to amplify GH and GHR genes. 3. RFLP method. 3. Electrophoresis in agarose gel. 4. Staining with Etidium bromide. 5. Genotyping. 6. Stasitical analysis of data. Results and conclutions. Growth hormone and growth hormone receptor genes have been found to be polymorphic in tested pig population what gives possibility to use them as genetic markers. According to agregated GHRH/GHR1/GHR2 genotype the largest carcass and bacon half length had pigs with genotype ABG1G1G3G3, the lowest fat thickness with genotype BBG1G1G4G4, the largest muscularity with genotype BBG1G1G4G4, the largest makeweight had pigs with genotype ABG1G1G3G3, the smallest feed intake for 1 kg makeweigth had pigs with AAG2G2G3G4 genotype. Unifactorial analysis showed that the largest percent of meat traits variation explains agregated genotype GHRH/GHR1/GHR2 – from 10,8 percent to warm carcass weight to 29,2 percent to fat thickness. Growth hormone and growth hormone receptor genes polimorphism statistically significantly influenced pigs muscularity and daily gain traits