engleski

Effect of weaning-to-conception interval and RBP4 gene genotype on sow litter size

The weaning-to-conception interval (WCI), as a non-productive period in sows, influences the economics of the overall pig production. During this period, sows are preparing for the new productive cycle, which is characterized by oestrus and ovulation, followed by nidation and early embryogenesis, in which retinol binding proteins (RBPs) have an important role. RBPs are involved in cell differentiation and transmission of nutrients, thus influencing early conceptus development. Above all, they are important transport proteins with the buffering ability to bind endogenous retinol and deliver it to the target cells. Therefore, RBP4 is a potential candidate gene associated with litter size traits in pigs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of WCI and RBP4 gene genotype on Total Number of Born (TNB) and Number of Born Alive (NBA) piglets. One hundred and one sows of Topigs 20 line were included in the study with 461 litters across all parities. Genotype (AA, AB or BB) was determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. An amplified fragment was digested by restriction enzyme MspI. Data were analysed using General Linear Model in SAS statistical package. The sows were divided into three groups: group 1 successfully inseminated on day 5 after weaning (WCI1) ; group 2 successfully inseminated between post weaning day 6 and day 10 (WCI2) ; and group 3 on post weaning day 11 (WCI3) or more. The sows with AA genotype generally had more TNB and NBA in all litters. A significantly higher (P<0.05) value for TNB was observed in WCI2-AA sows compared with WCI1-AB (difference 1.51±0.46 piglets) and WCI3-AB (difference 1.47±0.46 piglets) sows. Also, the results of NBA showed that WCI2-AA sows had a significantly higher (P<0.05) NBA than WCI1-AB (difference 1.13±0.41 piglets) and WCI3-AB (difference 1.43±0.46 piglets) sows. In conclusion, study results demonstrated that insemination of RBP4 AA genotype sows between post weaning day 6 and day 10 may have positive affect on litter size traits in pigs.

weaning-to-conception interval; retinol binding protein 4; gene; pig

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