Exclusion of NFYB as candidate gene for congenital splay leg in piglets and radiation hybrid mapping of further five homologous porcine genes from human chromosome 12 (HSA12)

Nuclear transcription factor Y, beta (NFYB) was evaluated as candidate gene for congenital splay leg in piglets based on data from differential display and QTL analysis. We mapped NFYB to pig chromosome 5 (SSC5). By assigning further five porcine genes from the corresponding region on human chromosome (HSA) 12q23.3 -> q24.11 to SSC5 and 14 we could confine an evolutionary breakpoint from an interval of more than 10 Mb to less than 400 kb. Comparative sequence analysis of the coding region of NFYB in healthy and splay leg piglets revealed no polymorphism. Inter-species conservation of the codons ranges from 87% to 95% between pig, human, cow, dog, rat and mouse, respectively. The expression of NFYB in M. biceps femoris was not different between healthy and splay leg piglets. However, healthy male piglets had a significantly higher expression than females. Our results exclude NFYB as candidate gene for congenital splay leg but provide a basis for selection of further candidates for the disease from SSC5. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.