Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
194,161 studies31 sourcesUpdated 10 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI

A Genome-Wide Association Study Links AEBP2 to Litter Size in Meishan Pigs.

  • Mengqian Cao1,2,3
  • Caifeng Wu1,2,3,4
  • Weilong Tu1,2,4
  • Yeqing Gan5
  • Yi Bian5
  • Xin Gu6
  • Wengang Zhang6
  • Shushan Zhang1,2,3,4
  • Lingwei Sun1,2,3,4
  • Jiehuan Xu1,2,3,4
  • Mengqian He1,2,3,4
  • Defu Zhang1,2,3,4
2 more authors
  • Jun Gao1,2,3,4
  • Jianjun Dai1,2,3,4
6 affiliations
  1. 1Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201106, China.
  2. 2Shanghai Municipal Key Laboratory of Agri-Genetics and Breeding, Shanghai 201106, China.
  3. 3Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Resources Evaluation and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai 201106, China.
  4. 4Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Breeding Pig, Shanghai 201106, China.
  5. 5Shanghai Meishan Pig Breeding Centre, Jiading District, Shanghai 201807, China.
  6. 6Shanghai Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, Shanghai 200050, China.
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

This study combined liquid-phase chip technology with a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify candidate functional genes for litter size in Meishan pigs. Genotyping of 198 Meishan sows using the "Shenxin No. 1" 60K porcine SNP chip, followed by quality control with PLINK v1.90, yielded 31,430 autosomal SNPs. Principal component analysis revealed no significant population stratification. Using a mixed linear model in GEMMA (v 0.98.1), we identified 9 significant SNP loci and 52 candidate genes on chromosomes 5 and 14, including AEBP2, P2RX2, ANKLE2, PGAM5, and EP400, which are implicated in embryonic development, ovarian function, and cell proliferation. Isolated porcine ovarian granulosa cells were validated by FSHR immunofluorescence, showing 99% purity. Overexpression of AEBP2 significantly upregulated its protein expression (Western blot) and promoted granulosa cell proliferation (CCK-8). Collectively, these results pinpoint potential candidate genomic regions and functional genes associated with litter size and suggest that AEBP2 may enhance reproductive performance by promoting granulosa cell proliferation and follicular development. This provides new targets for elucidating the genetic mechanisms underlying the high fecundity of Meishan pigs and for advancing molecular breeding efforts.

Related

  1. Balancing Prolificacy and Lamb Meat Production: Links Among Litter Size, Prenatal Development, Carcass Traits, and Meat Quality in Sheep.
    Song Guan, Dexin Zhao, Haoliang Chai +3
    Animals : an open access journal from MDPIPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGenetics & genomicsEurope PMC
  2. Draft genome assemblies of three Ligilactobacillus salivarius strains isolated from commercial layer hen litter
    Benjamin Brehm-Stecher, Ryan Donaldson, Charlie Fisher +10
    microPublication BiologyPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral biologyDOAJ
  3. The nuclear membrane protein Samp1 links peripheral genome organization to the myogenic transcriptional program
    U. Kasnik, I. Mei, S. Gomez Alcalde +3
    bioRxivPreprintCC BYFull textCell biologybioRxiv
  4. Chromosome-Level Nuclear Genome of Simulium vittatum Links Black Fly Cytogenetics to Genome Organization and Evolution
    E. Nishiduka, T. Hill, S. Lu +8
    bioRxivPreprintCC0Full textGenetics & genomicsbioRxiv
  5. Genome-Wide Evolution of Lineage-Specific Chromatin Accessibility Links Regulatory Changes to Cichlid Phenotypic Diversity.
    Tarang K Mehta, Angela L Man, Graham Etherington +6
    Genome biology and evolutionPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textPlant biologyEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{cao2026genomewide,
  title = {{A Genome-Wide Association Study Links AEBP2 to Litter Size in Meishan Pigs.}},
  author = {Mengqian Cao and Caifeng Wu and Weilong Tu and Yeqing Gan and Yi Bian and Xin Gu and Wengang Zhang and Shushan Zhang and Lingwei Sun and Jiehuan Xu and Mengqian He and Defu Zhang and Jun Gao and Jianjun Dai},
  journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/ani16203198},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42939129},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - A Genome-Wide Association Study Links AEBP2 to Litter Size in Meishan Pigs.
AU  - Mengqian Cao
AU  - Caifeng Wu
AU  - Weilong Tu
AU  - Yeqing Gan
AU  - Yi Bian
AU  - Xin Gu
AU  - Wengang Zhang
AU  - Shushan Zhang
AU  - Lingwei Sun
AU  - Jiehuan Xu
AU  - Mengqian He
AU  - Defu Zhang
AU  - Jun Gao
AU  - Jianjun Dai
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/12
JO  - Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
DO  - 10.3390/ani16203198
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42939129
AB  - This study combined liquid-phase chip technology with a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify candidate functional genes for litter size in Meishan pigs. Genotyping of 198 Meishan sows using the "Shenxin No. 1" 60K porcine SNP chip, followed by quality control with PLINK v1.90, yielded 31,430 autosomal SNPs. Principal component analysis revealed no significant population stratification. Using a mixed linear model in GEMMA (v 0.98.1), we identified 9 significant SNP loci and 52 candidate genes on chromosomes 5 and 14, including AEBP2, P2RX2, ANKLE2, PGAM5, and EP400, which are implicated in embryonic development, ovarian function, and cell proliferation. Isolated porcine ovarian granulosa cells were validated by FSHR immunofluorescence, showing 99% purity. Overexpression of AEBP2 significantly upregulated its protein expression (Western blot) and promoted granulosa cell proliferation (CCK-8). Collectively, these results pinpoint potential candidate genomic regions and functional genes associated with litter size and suggest that AEBP2 may enhance reproductive performance by promoting granulosa cell proliferation and follicular development. This provides new targets for elucidating the genetic mechanisms underlying the high fecundity of Meishan pigs and for advancing molecular breeding efforts.
SN  - 2076-2615
ER  -