• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1655-1661
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• 2007

Prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H) plays a central role in collagen synthesis by catalyzing the hydroxylation of the proline residue in the X-Pro-Gly amino acid sequence, and controls the biosynthesis of collagen that influences overall meat quality. In order to verify expression level of the catalytic ${\alpha}$ subunit of P4H, a 2.7 kb clone of the ${\alpha}$ subunit gene for P4H was selected from a cDNA library prepared from the muscular tissue of Sancheong berkshire pigs, and the whole gene sequence was determined. As expression level of the ${\alpha}$ subunit of P4H differed between tissues of pigs, we intended to assess more precisely the level of ${\alpha}$-subunit expression between tissues of Sancheong Berkshire pigs by using RT-PCR. Muscular and adipose tissues were taken from each pig grouped by growth stage (weighing 60, 80, and 110 kg) of Yorkshire and Sancheong Berkshire pigs, and the expression levels of the ${\alpha}$-subunit of P4H were examined. Since there were significant differences in the expression level with respect to variation in growth stage (p<0.01), an attempt was made to identify any influences of pig species and tissue variation. The muscular and adipose tissues of pigs weighing 110 kg showed higher expression levels than pigs weighing 60 kg and 80 kg. In general, significantly higher expression levels were found in muscular than in adipose tissue. The expression levels in Sancheong Berkshire were significantly higher than in Yorkshire pigs (p<0.01 or p<0.05). Since expression level of the ${\alpha}$-subunit of P4H affects the activity of P4H and is connected to the biosynthesis of collagen and increased collagen can improve meat texture, this finding may explain why meat quality of the Sancheong Berkshire pig is acclaimed in Korea. Given the higher expression levels of the ${\alpha}$-subunit gene in adipose than in muscular tissue, and also in the heavier pigs, more intensive studies are required to assess the correlation between expression level of the ${\alpha}$ subunit gene and overall meat quality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.539-546
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• 2020

Objective: The Jeju native pig (JNP) found on the Jeju Island of Korea is a unique black pig known for high-quality meat. To investigate the genetic uniqueness of JNP, we analyzed the selection signature of the JNP in comparison to commercial pigs such as Berkshire and Yorkshire pigs. Methods: We surveyed the genetic diversity to identify the genetic stability of the JNP, using the linkage disequilibrium method. A selective sweep of the JNP was performed to identify the selection signatures. To do so, the population differentiation measure, Weir-Cockerham's F_st was utilized. This statistic directly measures the population differentiation at the variant level. Additionally, we investigated the gene ontologies (GOs) and genetic features. Results: Compared to the Berkshire and Yorkshire pigs, the JNP had lower genetic diversity in terms of linkage disequilibrium decays. We summarized the selection signatures of the JNP as GO. In the JNP and Berkshire pigs, the most enriched GO terms were epithelium development and neuron-related. Considering the JNP and Yorkshire pigs, cellular response to oxygen-containing compound and generation of neurons were the most enriched GO. Conclusion: The selection signatures of the JNP were identified through the population differentiation statistic. The genes with possible selection signatures are expected to play a role in JNP's unique pork quality.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.127-136
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• 2019

Today, as the specification of pigs increases, it is important to develop eco-friendly livestock feeds that do not add antibiotics to highly utilizable materials as feed resources, and to produce functional eco-friendly pork and processed products. The purpose of this study was to establish Rubus occidentalis (RO) byproducts containing various amounts of physiologically active substances such as anticancer, anti - inflammation and antioxidant as a raw material for pig feed. The multifaceted efficacy of the RO fermented fodder (ROFF) was confirmed by the nutrient transport factors and antioxidant activity of Berkshire pigs. ROFF was added 0.3% to the general diet and the efficacy was confirmed by feeding diets to Berkshire pigs according to each weight for 43~73 days. As a result, the total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were decreased or were increased in the castrated male and female Berkshire pigs but not significantly. It was confirmed that the tendency was improved in nutrition physiology. The biochemical levels of female finishing pigs were not significant but increased. In the case of finishing pigs with possibility of pregnancy, it is expected that the nutrition supply for piglet production and will help in the production of the healthy piglet. Transferrin (TFE) levels tended to increase in female growing pig and 110-150 kg finishing pigs. Thus ROFF could minimize the negative effects of iron contents deficiency in female Berkshire pigs. Glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) activity was increased in castrated male and female 110-150 kg finishing pigs. Therefore, ROFF tends to improve the antioxidant capacity. The results of this study suggest that ROFF is one of the most favorable dietary sources when considering the contents of RO in feed. In particular, ROFF could have a positive effect on nutrient transport and iron content of female rather than castrated male Berkshire pigs.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.703-710
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• 2018

Bromodomain-containing protein 2 (BRD2) is a nuclear serine/threonine kinase involved in transcriptional regulation. We investigated the expression and association of the BRD2 gene as a candidate gene for meat quality traits in Berkshire pigs. BRD2 mRNA was expressed at relatively high levels in muscle tissue. Statistical analysis revealed that the c.1709G>C polymorphism of the BRD2 gene was significantly associated with carcass weight, meat color ($a^*$, redness), protein content, cooking loss, water-holding capacity, carcass temperatures 4, 12 and 24 h postmortem, and the 24 h postmortem pH in 384 Berkshire pigs. Therefore, this polymorphism in the porcine BRD2 gene may be used as a candidate genetic marker to improve meat quality traits in pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 2015

Fatness qualities in pigs measured by the amount of fat deposition and composition of fatty acids (FAs) in pork have considerable effect on current breeding goals. The stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene plays a crucial role in the conversion of saturated FAs into monounsaturated FAs (MUFAs), and hence, is among the candidate genes responsible for pig fatness traits. Here, we identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, $c.^*2041T$ >C) in the 3' untranslated region by direct sequencing focused on coding and regulatory regions of porcine SCD. According to the association analysis using a hundred of Berkshire pigs, the SNP was significantly associated with FA composition (MUFAs and polyunsaturated FAs [PUFAs]), polyunsaturated to saturated (P:S) FA ratio, n-6:n-3 FA ratio, and extent of fat deposition such as intramuscular fat and marbling (p<0.05). In addition, the SNP showed a significant effect on the SCD mRNA expression levels (p = 0.041). Based on our results, we suggest that the SCD $c.^*2041T$ >C SNP plays a role in the gene regulation and affects the fatness qualities in Berkshire pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.199-207
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of fermented mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) by-products on meat quality characteristics in fattening Berkshire pigs. The fermented diet mainly contained 40.0% mushroom by-products, 26.0% rice bran, and 20.0% formula feed and was fermented for 5 d. The basal diet for the control (C) was substituted with 10% (T1), 30% (T2), 50% (T3), and 70% (T4) fermented diet. Warner-Bratzler shear forces (WBSF) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in treatments than that in C. The meat color (lightness, redness, and yellowness) was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in treatments than that in C, whereas fat color (redness and yellowness) was significantly higher in treatments than that in C (P < 0.05). The compositions of palmitoleic acid and arachidonic acid were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in T4 than that in C. The amino acid composition of longissimus dorsi (LD) and the sensory evaluation of cooked meat were not affected by diet type. In conclusion, a diet of fermented mushroom by-products increased pH and backfat color, but decreased cooking loss, WBSF, and meat color of LD in growing-fattening Berkshire pigs.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1202-1209
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• 2021

Objective: The intestinal microbiota plays an important role in host physiology, metabolism, immunity, and behavior. And host genetics could influence the gut microbiota of hybrid animals. The three-way cross model is commonly utilized in commercial pig production; however, the use of this model to analyse the gut microbial composition is rarely reported. Methods: Two three-way hybrid pigs were selected, with Saba pigs as the starting maternal pig: Duroc× (Berkshire×Saba) (DBS) pig, Berkshire×(Duroc×Saba) (BDS) pig. One hundred pigs of each model were reared from 35 days (d) to 210 d. The body weight or feed consumption of all pigs were recorded and their feed/gain (F/G) ratio was calculated. On day 210, 10 pigs from each three-way cross were selected for slaughter, and cecal chyme samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: The final body weight (FBW) and average daily gain (ADG) of DBS pigs were significantly higher than those of BDS pigs (p<0.05), while the F/G ratios of DBS pigs were significantly lower than those of BDS pigs (p<0.05). The dominant phyla in DBS and BDS pigs were Bacteroidetes (55.23% vs 59%, respectively) and Firmicutes (36.65% vs 34.86%, respectively) (p>0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of Prevotella, Roseburia, and Anaerovibrio in DBS pigs was significantly lower than in BDS pigs (p<0.01). The abundance of Eubacterium, Clostridium XI, Bacteroides, Methanomassiliicoccus, and Parabacteroides in DBS pigs was significantly higher than in BDS pigs (p<0.05). The FBWs and ADGs were positively correlated with Bacteroides, ClostridiumXI, and Parabacteroides but negatively correlated with the Prevotella, Prevotella/Bacteroides (P/B) ratio, Roseburia, and Anaerovibrio. Conclusion: These results indicated that host genetics affect the cecal microbiota composition and the porcine gut microbiota is associated with growth performance, thereby suggesting that gut microbiota composition may be a useful biomarker in porcine genetics and breeding.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.764-771
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• 2012

Direct and maternal genetic heritabilities and their correlations with body weight at 5 stages in the life span of purebred Berkshire pigs, from birth to harvest, were estimated to scrutinize body weight development with the records for 5,088 purebred Berkshire pigs in a Korean farm, using the REML based on an animal model. Body weights were measured at birth (Birth), at weaning (Weaning: mean 22.9 d), at the beginning of a performance test (On: mean 72.7 d), at the end of a performance test (Off: mean 152.4 d), and at harvest (Finish: mean 174.3 d). Ordinary polynomials and Legendre with order 1, 2, and 3 were adopted to adjust body weight with age in the multivariate animal models. Legendre with order 3 fitted best concerning prediction error deviation (PED) and yielded the lowest AIC for multivariate analysis of longitudinal body weights. Direct genetic correlations between body weight at Birth and body weight at Weaning, On, Off, and Finish were 0.48, 0.36, 0.10, and 0.10, respectively. The estimated maternal genetic correlations of body weight at Finish with body weight at Birth, Weaning, On, and Off were 0.39, 0.49, 0.65, and 0.90, respectively. Direct genetic heritabilities progressively increased from birth to harvest and were 0.09, 0.11, 0.20, 0.31, and 0.43 for body weight at Birth, Weaning, On, Off, and Finish, respectively. Maternal genetic heritabilities generally decreased and were 0.26, 0.34, 0.15, 0.10, and 0.10 for body weight at Birth, Weaning, On, Off, and Finish, respectively. As pigs age, maternal genetic effects on growth are reduced and pigs begin to rely more on the expression of their own genes. Although maternal genetic effects on body weight may not be large, they are sustained through life.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.1479-1488
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• 2022

Objective: This work was to determine coat inheritance and evaluate production performance for crossbred pigs from Berkshire×Chenghua (BC) compared with Chinese indigenous Chenghua (CH) pigs. Methods: The coat color phenotypes were recorded for more than 16,000 pigs, and the genotypes of melanocortin 1 receptor (MCIR) gene were identified by sequencing. The reproductive performance of 927 crossbred BC F4 gilts and 320 purebred CH gilts was recorded. Sixty pigs of each breed were randomly selected at approximately 60 days of age to determine growth performance during fattening period, which lasted for 150 days for BC pigs and 240 days for CH pigs. At the end of the fattening period, 30 pigs of each breed were slaughtered to determine carcass composition and meat quality. Results: The coat color of BC pigs exhibits a "dominant black" hereditary pattern, and all piglets derived from boars or sows genotyped E^D1 E^D1 homozygous for MC1R gene showed a uniform black coat phenotype. The BC F4 gilts displayed a good reproductive performance, showing a higher litter and tear size and were heavier at farrowing litter and at weaning litter than the CH gilts, but they reached puberty later than the CH gilts. BC F4 pigs exhibited improved growth and carcass characteristics with a higher average daily live weight gain, lower feed-to-gain ratio, and higher carcass lean meat rate than CH pigs. Like CH pigs, BC F4 pigs produced superior meat-quality characteristics, showing ideal pH and meat-color values, high intramuscular fat content and water-holding capacity, and acceptable muscle-fiber parameters. C18:1, C16:0, C18:0, and C18:2 were the main fatty acids in M. longissimus lumborum in the two breeds, and a remarkably high polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio of ~0.39 was observed in the BC F4 pigs. Conclusion: The BC F4 pigs exhibit a uniform black coat pattern and acceptable total production performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.1224-1232
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• 2020

Objective: The QingYu pig is well known for its excellent meat quality attributes in Sichuan province, China. In order to improve its production efficiency, the determination of genetic factors contributing to quantifiable economic traits of livestock is important. Moreover, the cross-breeding of QingYu pigs with western breeds possessing strong growth attributes is an efficient way to improve the performance of this breed. Methods: Here, the genetic parameters of several important reproductive traits of QingYu pigs were estimated, include total number born (TNB), number born alive, litter birth weight, individual birth weight, number of piglets weaned, litter weaning weight, and individual weaning weight. The data was analyzed using the ASReml 3.0 software (NSW Inc., Sydney, Australia). Furthermore, the effects of crossing Berkshire with QingYu (BQ) pigs on carcass and meat quality traits, as well as the effects of slaughter weight on carcass and meat quality of BQ were characterized. Results: QingYu pigs exhibited superior reproductive traits. The TNB available to QingYu pigs was more than 8 per parity. The observed repeatability of the reproductive traits of the QingYu pigs was between 0.10 and 0.23. The significantly correlated genetic and phenotypic of reproduction traits were consistent. Interestingly, the BQ pigs exhibited improved carcass quality, with a significant increase in loin muscle area, lean percentage and reduction in sebum percentage. As a result, BQ had higher L_45min, lower cooking scores, and lower drip loss. In addition, the loin muscle area, body length, and sebum percentage were significantly higher in 90 and 100 kg animals. Cooking loss showed a significant increase at 80 kg, and marbling increased significantly from 90 kg. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that QingYu pigs exhibit excellent reproductive properties and heritability of these traits. Crossing with Berkshire is an efficient strategy to improve the carcass and meat quality of QingYu pigs for commercial operations. Furthermore, it appears as though the optimal slaughter weight of BQ pigs is at approximately 90 kg.