Pig Genome Newsletter #114

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Pig Genome Update

 · 8 months ago

From: "Rothschild, Max F [AN S]" <mfrothsc@iastate.edu> 
To: angenmap@animalgenome.org 
Subject: US Pig Genome Newsletter #114 
Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:01:14 -0600 

Pig Genome Update # 114 (Special Issue): 
 - PDF version is available at 
   http://www.animalgenome.org/pig/newsletter/pdf/No.114.pdf 
 - Web version is available at 
   http://www.animalgenome.org/pig/newsletter/No.114.html 
 - Plain text version is appended below: 

  
                  P I G     G E N O M E     U P D A T E 
     _________________________________________________________________ 
     A Periodic Newsletter of the U.S. Pig Genome Coordination Program 

                  ****  Special Issue  *  No. 114  ****  
                 *                                     * 
                 *           November 14, 2012         * 
                  *************************************  

This little piggy went to publication!! 

The Swine Genome Sequencing Consortium is pleased to announce the publication  
of a high quality draft genome sequence for the pig (Sus scrofa). The paper  
entitled "Analyses of pig genomes provide insight into porcine demography and  
evolution" describing the sequencing, analysis and annotation of this draft  
genome sequence is published in Nature. In parallel a series of companion  
papers has been published in BMC journals.  

The genome paper reports analyses not only of the reference genome of Duroc  
2-14 aka TJ Tabasco but also analyses of genomes of several wild boars and  
other domesticated pigs. The analyses revealed a deep phylogenetic split  
between European and Asian wild boars dating back ~1 million years. This  
observation, in part, provides final justification for the wide trait mapping  
crosses developed in the 1990s, especially between Western and Chinese  
breeds. It was argued at the time that Chinese and Western pigs were as  
genetically divergent as Mus musculus and Mus spretus species of mice which  
had been extensively used in mouse genetics research. In effect, this  
judgment has been validated. 

As observed in other genomes, genes encoding immune response functions show  
evidence of rapid evolution. The pig has the largest repertoire of functional  
olfactory receptor genes of any mammal sequenced to date - perhaps that is  
why they are effective hunters for truffles. There is evidence that genes  
involved in taste are located in pig evolutionary break points. Pigs can  
tolerate higher levels of substances that are distasteful to humans - perhaps  
the ability of pigs to eat material that is unpalatable to humans was one of  
the attractions when they were domesticated. 

A comparison of multiple pig genomes and the comparison of pig and human  
genomes reveal several potentially disease-causing genetic variants which may  
extend the value of pigs in biomedical research. 

The pig industry has an excellent track record for rapid and effective  
exploitation of new knowledge and technologies. The pig genome sequence is  
expected to enable the acceleration of pig genetics research, the results of  
which are expected to be translated into pig improvement in a timely manner.  
The pig industry support for the sequencing project is gratefully  
acknowledged by the Consortium. 

This paper represents an important landmark for the Consortium which was  
launched back in 2003. For many of the authors their collaborative research  
in pig genetics and genomics stretches back to the early 1990s and the  
European PiGMaP project and USDA Pig Genome Coordinated activities in the US.  
The project has benefited from these long established collaborations and  
friendships. Transnational funding was critical to the delivery of the  
project, including USDA funding to The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute,  
European Commission and European Research Council funding and significant  
contributions from Korean, Japanese and Chinese national sources and many  
others including several US universities and industry partners which are all  
acknowledged in the paper. The draft pig genome sequence, the pig genome  
paper and associated companion papers are important achievements for the pig  
research community, but there is more still to learn and do (kindly provided  
by Alan Archibald, Martien Groenen, and Larry Schook On behalf of the Swine  
Genome Sequencing Consortium). 

Congratulations go to not only the authors, donors and contributors for  
this effort to produce the paper but also the many colleagues over the past  
years who have contributed to the pig genome research efforts worldwide. 

                                Max F. Rothschild 
                                U.S. Pig Genome Coordinator 
                                2255 Kildee Hall 
                                Department of Animal Science 
                                Iowa State University  
                                Ames, Iowa 50011 
                                Phone/Fax: 515-294-6202  
                                mfrothsc@iastate.edu 

=========================================================================== 
Supported by Multi-State Research Funds to the National Research Service  
Program: NRSP-8. National Animal Genome Research Program, Lakshmi Matukumalli 
NAGRP Director, NIFA 
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Web: http://www.animalgenome.org/pig  |  Mail: angenmap@animalgenome.org 
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