%0 Journal Article
%T Quantitative trait loci analysis for leg weakness-related traits in a Duroc ¡Á Pietrain crossbred population
%A Watchara Laenoi
%A Muhammad Uddin
%A Mehmet Cinar
%A Christine Gro£¿e-Brinkhaus
%A Dawit Tesfaye
%A Elisabeth Jonas
%A Armin M Scholz
%A Ernst Tholen
%A Christian Looft
%A Klaus Wimmers
%A Chirawath Phatsara
%A Heinz Juengst
%A Helga Sauerwein
%A Manfred Mielenz
%A Karl Schellander
%J Genetics Selection Evolution
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1297-9686-43-13
%X Three hundred and ten F2 pigs from a Duroc ¡Á Pietrain resource population were genotyped using 82 genetic markers. Front and rear legs and feet scores were based on the standard scoring system. Osteochondrosis lesions were examined histologically at the head and the condylus medialis of the left femur and humerus. Bone mineral density, bone mineral content and bone mineral area were measured in the whole ulna and radius bones using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. A line-cross model was applied to determine QTL regions associated with leg weakness using the QTL Express software.Eleven QTL affecting leg weakness were identified on eight autosomes. All QTL reached the 5% chromosome-wide significance level. Three QTL were associated with osteochondrosis on the humerus end, two with the fore feet score and two with the rear leg score. QTL on SSC2 and SSC3 influencing bone mineral content and bone mineral density, respectively, reached the 5% genome-wide significance level.Our results confirm previous studies and provide information on new QTL associated with leg weakness in pigs. These results contribute towards a better understanding of the genetic background of leg weakness in pigs.Leg weakness (LW) has a great impact on fitness and longevity of animals, which influences not only animal welfare but also production and reproduction performance. It has been shown that between 20 and 50% of boars completing performance tests are rejected as breeding animals because of LW problems [1]. Genetic correlations between LW-related traits and longevity in breeding sows have been reported and suggest that a better leg status would decrease involuntary culling [2,3]. Heritability estimates have been reported for LW in Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire sires i.e. 0.23, 0.30 and 0.39, respectively [4], and for an overall leg score in Landrace and Large White sows, i.e. 0.27 and 0.38, respectively [2]. In addition, osteochondrosis (OC) is regarded as the main cause of LW in pig [5,6].
%U http://www.gsejournal.org/content/43/1/13