Microarray analysis reveals genes and functional networks relevant to the predisposition for inverted teats in pigs

The inverted teat defect is an inherited disorder characterised by the failure of teats to protrude from the udder surface. The number and identity of relevant genes are unknown. Simultaneously, 24,123 probe-sets were screened, of which some 15,000 had present calls and were analysed for differential expression between mesenchymal and epithelial tissue of three categories of teats, i.e. normal teats of non-affected (NN) and affected animals (AN) and inverted teats (AI) of the later. RNAs of mesenchymal and epithelial teat tissues of 5 non-affected and 5 affected animals were hybridized to Affymetrix Porcine Genome Arrays. ANOVA