Genome-wide linkage analysis of global gene expression of loin muscle tissue identifies putatively cis-acting candidate genes in pigs

510 F2 Duroc X Pietrain pigs together with their parents and grandparents from a resource population at Michigan State University were genotyped for 124 microsatellite markers. Transcriptional profiling was performed on a subset of 176 F2 pigs using a 70-mer long oligonucleotide microarray containing 20,400 oligos (GPL7435). Pigs were selected for transcriptional profiling using a selective phenotyping strategy which consisted in choosing the two extreme males and females for a trait of interest within each litter. Each two-color array accomodated two littermates of the same sex that were extremes (Status High or Low) for a phenotype of interest (Selection criteria)