Download or read book Mapping and Investigational Analysis of Candidate Genes in the Pig written by Jill Ann Sherwood and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The identification of candidate genes in the pig is important for research leading to the improvement of meat quality. In addition, the analysis and characterization has the potential to benefit research in other areas, including human medicine. The diseases of interest for this thesis study included nemaline myopathy and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Identification of candidate genes for these disorders was based on their relationship to certain human diseases, and their potential to affect certain meat quality traits. Four separate genes were chosen based on proposed function in humans, and proposed location based on the human and pig comparative maps: beta tropomyosin (TPM2), muscle glycogen synthase (GYS1), protein-tyrosine phosphatase IB (PTP1B), and cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor gamma (PKIG). The GYS1, PTP1B and PKIG genes may have an effect on diabetes or the development of the disease, and TPM2 may be associated with a phenotype similar to nemaline myopathy. In addition, all of the genes listed have the potential to affect meat quality traits in the pig. For each porcine gene, analysis included partial sequencing, identification of polymorphisms, physical and linkage mapping, and association studies to determine if these genes were associated with any pork quality traits measured. Association studies with GYS1 revealed some association with fat and tenderness-related traits, while analysis of PTP1B showed association with glycogen and lactate-related traits. No significant associations were noted with the TPM2 or PKIG genes in this thesis study. Sequence data for each of these genes adds to the body of knowledge about the pig genome and these specific genes, and identification of the map locations of each of these genes in the pig refines the comparative maps between pigs and humans. In addition, association studies have revealed that two of these genes, GYS1 and PTP1B, may be useful for marker-assisted selection in pigs, and information for all genes has the potential to improve the understanding of human disorders.