Genomic characterization and insights into the belted coat pattern of a local, reconstituted pig population

The Cinghiato pig population originates from a breeding project aimed at reconstituting an extinct local swine breed, historically depicted in frescoes in Umbria, Central Italy. The selection strategy employed a reconstruction breeding program, choosing mating pairs based on the unique coat phenotype represented in these artworks. Unlike the traditional Cinta Senese breed, Cinghiato pigs exhibit a white belt encircling the trunk, while their forelimbs remain black. This study explores the genetic background of the belted coat pattern observed in the heterogeneous reconstituted population. Twenty-two pigs were genotyped using the Porcine GGP 80K SNP BeadChip. Genetic analyses were conducted to assess population structure and diversity, with comparisons made to other Italian pig breeds and wild boars. Findings reveal moderate genetic diversity within the Cinghiato population. Runs of Homozygosity patterns suggest historical inbreeding events. Moreover, several genomic regions were associated with traits relevant to niche pork production, including feed intake, leg conformation, and fat deposition. Polymorphisms were detected in 10 coat color-related genes (<i>KIT, MC1R, ASIP, EDNRB, KITLG, MITF, OCA2, PAX3, SOX10</i>, and <i>TYRP1</i>). Although some candidate variants were identified, this preliminary study highlights the need for further research to clarify the genetic mechanisms underlying the phenotypic variability of belted coat patterns.

钦基亚托猪（Cinghiato pig）种群起源于一项旨在复原已灭绝本土家猪品种的育种项目，该品种历史上曾在意大利中部翁布里亚地区的壁画中有所描绘。研究团队采用复原式育种策略，依据这些艺术作品中呈现的独特被毛表型选配种猪。与传统的辛塔塞内塞（Cinta Senese）猪品种不同，钦基亚托猪的躯干环绕有一条白色带纹，前肢则呈黑色。本研究针对该异质化复原种群中出现的带纹被毛表型的遗传背景展开探究。研究采用猪GGP 80K单核苷酸多态性（SNP）分型芯片（Porcine GGP 80K SNP BeadChip）对22头试验猪进行基因分型，通过遗传分析评估种群结构与遗传多样性，并将结果与其他意大利家猪品种及野猪进行对比。研究结果表明，钦基亚托猪种群的遗传多样性处于中等水平。纯合子片段（Runs of Homozygosity）的分布模式提示该种群曾存在历史近交事件。此外，多个基因组区域与特色猪肉生产相关性状存在关联，包括采食量、腿部体型及脂肪沉积。研究在10个与被毛颜色相关的基因（<i>KIT、MC1R、ASIP、EDNRB、KITLG、MITF、OCA2、PAX3、SOX10</i>及<i>TYRP1</i>）中检测到了多态性位点。尽管已鉴定出部分候选变异位点，但本初步研究仍强调，需开展进一步研究以阐明带纹被毛表型变异背后的遗传机制。