Genetic diversity in Mexican Creole pigs with candidate genes associated with productive characters

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the genetic variability and diversity, and genetic distances between Mexican Creole pigs – Pelón Mexicano (CPM) and Cuinos (CC) – with the commercial breed Yorkshire for the candidate genes CAST,DECR1, HAL, HFABP4, LEP, LIPE, MCR4, MYOG, RN andCHX, using the PCR-RFLP technique. One hundred eighty pigs (59 CPM, 65 CC and 56 Yorkshire) were evaluated. Gene and genotypic frequencies, heterozygosity, genetic distances and filogenetic trees between breed groups were analyzed. In the comparison among the three breeds, the allelic and genotypic frequencies were different for CAST, DECR1, HFABP4, LEP, MCR4 and CHX. ForLIPE, CC pigs were similar to Yorkshire; while for MYOG, the CPM were similar to Yorkshire breeds. There were no differences in the genic and genotypic frequencies for HALand RN genes between Creole and Yorkshire populations. The Yorkshire breed had higher favorable allele frequency for CAST, LIPE, MCR4 and MYOG, smaller for DECR1,HFABP4, and for CHX, and moderate for LEP genes. The heterozygosity average for all genes was higher in CPM (0.42±0.05) and similar in both the CC (0.33±0.06) and Yorkshire (0.35±0.05) breeds. In the estimation of genetic distances considering all genes, the CC breed are more distant from the Yorshire pigs.