Coat-colour-related genotypes, phenotyping and biometric assessment of three ecotypes of pigs in Cameroon
<p>A study was conducted from June 2022 to December 2023 in three agroecological zones in Cameroon to describe the local pigs and to develop a standard method for reporting their phenotypic-diversity information. A systematic sample of 152 adult pigs was considered and described in terms of co...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Archives Animal Breeding |
| Online Access: | https://aab.copernicus.org/articles/68/239/2025/aab-68-239-2025.pdf |
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| Summary: | <p>A study was conducted from June 2022 to December 2023 in three agroecological zones in Cameroon to describe the local pigs and to develop a standard method for reporting their phenotypic-diversity information. A systematic sample of 152 adult pigs was considered and described in terms of coat colour major genes and body measurements. The results show that local pigs are heterogeneous in colour and are predominantly white (34.2 %). The melanocortin 1 receptor gene (MC1R) was the most significant gene for primary coat colour, with five alleles, including E<span class="inline-formula"><sup>+</sup></span> (wild type), E (dominant black), E<span class="inline-formula"><sup><i>d</i></sup></span> (black with white belt), E<span class="inline-formula"><sup>p</sup></span> (white with black spots) and e (recessive red). The E<span class="inline-formula"><sup>p</sup></span> allele was the most predominant at 75 % allele frequency. The agouti signalling protein (ASIP) gene was the only secondary coat colour determiner observed, with its recessive non-agouti allele (a) present (100 %). The coat colour modifier is the tyrosine-kinase protein gene (KIT), with six alleles, including I (colour inhibition), I<span class="inline-formula"><sup><i>d</i></sup></span> (green), I<span class="inline-formula"><sup><i>p</i></sup></span> (white and black spots), I<span class="inline-formula"><sup><i>b</i></sup></span> (white belt), i<span class="inline-formula"><sup><i>m</i></sup></span> (dirty white) and i (non-kit), with the predominant allele being I<span class="inline-formula"><sup><i>p</i></sup></span> (39.5 %). The agroecological zone influenced body measurements, including head length, between-ear distance, snout size and ischium width (<span class="inline-formula"><i>P</i></span> <span class="inline-formula"><</span> 0.05). Furthermore, the highest live weight of 82.47 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 23.86 <span class="inline-formula">kg</span> was obtained in the monomodal-rainfall forest (MRF) zone. The biometrical structure shows that the local Cameroon pigs can be organised into three subgroups. This study provides the broader audience with valuable insights into the phenotypic diversity of the local Cameroon pigs and a standardised description and reporting protocol.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 0003-9438 2363-9822 |