Analysis of the distribution of growth hormone gene polymorphism (HaeII; MspI) in RYR1 genotyped pigs and association with production traits

The genotypes of the porcine growth hormone gene (GH) (HaeII; MspI) and RYR1 gene were analysed with PCR-RFLP technique (Fig. 1) in 89 individuals from a hybrid population (Large White x Landrace) x hybrid boars. The frequencies of the alleles of the GH gene were: HaeII(+) = 0.657, HaeII(-) = 0.343 and MspI(+) = 0.826, MspI(-) = 0.174. The population was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the GH genes (Tab. I). The interactions between the analysed polymorphisms of the GH and RYR1 gene were non-significant, The distribution of HaeII/MspI combined genotypes in connection with RYR1 genotypes is given in Tab. II, We investigated the effects of RYR1, HaeII and MspI genes on growth and carcass traits in live weight ca. 80 kg and post mortem (Tabs. III and IV). The MspI genotypes differed significantly for lean meat content and backfat determined by PIGLOG (ca. 80 kg) and for last chest vertebra backfat, average backfat and lean meat content determined post mortem. The RYR1 genotypes differed significantly for first sacral vertebra backfat and lean meat content determined post mortem. We did not find any differences in production traits between the pigs with the HaeII genotypes.