Comparison of gene expression patterns in Longissimus dorsi of pigs between the high-parent heterosis cross combination Landrace x Large White and the mid-parent heterosis cross combination Large White x Meishan

In order to detect the molecular mechanism of heterosis in pigs, the mRNA differential display technique was performed to investigate the differences in gene expression of pig's Longissimus dorsi between the. high-parent heterosis cross combination Landrace x Large White and the mid-parent heterosis cross combination Large White x Meishan. Three pig purebreds, Large White, Meishan, and Landrace and four types of reciprocal F-1 hybrids were analyzed using nine 3'-end anchored primers in combination with ten 5'-end arbitrary primers and nearly 7,000 reproducible bands were examined. The patterns of gene expression of each cross combination were analyzed and eight common patterns (fifteen kinds) were found. When the results from the two cross combinations were put together and compared, eight different typical expression patterns were observed, these indicated that the patterns of gene expression of these two cross combinations had obvious differences. Gene expression correlation and cluster analyses of the two cross combinations indicated that the gene expression of the mid-parent heterosis cross combination was correlated with maternal effect, but in the high-parent heterosis cross combination, paternal effect acted in the gene expression of the hybrids or the gene expression of the hybrids was biased towards one parent.