Mapping quantitative trait loci for cytokines in the pig

Increased disease resistance through improved general immune capacity would be beneficial for the welfare and productivity of farm animals. Cytokines are essential diagnostic parameters in veterinary practice. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for cytokine levels in serum in the pig, Interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) and Interleukin 10 (IL‐10) levels and the ratio of IFN‐γ to IL‐10 were measured in a composite pig population, before and after challenge with modified live CSF (classical swine fever) vaccine. Through interval mapping using the variance component approach and the permutation test, 11 QTL (five for IFN‐γ, two for IL‐10 and four for the ratio of IFN‐γ to IL‐10) with significance levels of P < 0.10 were identified, of which five were significant at the P < 0.05 level. The most significant QTL (P < 0.01) was found on chromosome 16, with effect on the ratio of IFN‐γ to IL‐10. Within these QTL regions, a number of known genes were revealed and their potential relationships to the studied traits were discussed. Some of these genes may serve as candidate genes for these traits in swine.     

Swine liver methylomes of Berkshire,Duroc and Landrace breeds by MeDIPS

Using a methyl‐DNA immunoprecipitation technique in combination with next‐generation deep sequencing, we conducted comprehensive DNA methylation profiling of liver genomes from three pig breeds: Berkshire, Duroc and Landrace. The profiles revealed that the distribution patterns of methylation signals along the genome are conserved among the three pig breeds. Specifically, many signals in coding genes were found in introns, and most signals in the repetitive elements were identified in non‐long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons such as long and short interspersed repetitive elements, implying a significant association with alternative splicing and expression of retrotransposable elements respectively. Differentially methylated regions among the three pig breeds were identified in the non‐LTR retrotransposons, suggesting that they may lead to differential retrotransposable element activity. Altogether, this study provides advanced swine methylome data and valuable resources for understanding the function of DNA methylation in the evolutionary divergence of different pig breeds.     

Phosphorylation of fibronectin in quiescent and growing cell cultures

Phosphorylation of fibronectin was studied in quiescent vs growing cells from several species. Fibronectin secreted by actively growing cells exhibits a significantly higher level of phosphorylation than does the fibronectin secreted by quiescent cells of the same species.     

Feral Swine Behavior Relative to Aerial Gunning in Southern Texas

ABSTRACT Feral swine (Sus scrofa) impact resources through their destructive feeding behavior, competition with native wildlife, and impacts to domestic animal agriculture. We studied aerial gunning on feral swine to determine if aerial gunning altered home range and core area sizes, distances between home range centroids, and distances moved by surviving individuals. We collected data before, during, and after aerial gunning in southern Texas. Using Global Positioning System collars deployed on 25 adult feral swine at 2 study sites, we found home range and core area sizes did not differ before and after aerial gunning. However, feral swine moved at a greater rate during the aerial gunning phase than during the before and after periods. We concluded that aerial gunning had only minor effects on the behavior of surviving swine and that this removal method should be considered a viable tool in contingency planning for a foreign animal disease outbreak.