RESUMO
As important livestock species, pigs provide essential meat resources for humans, so understanding the genetic evolution behind their domestic history could help with the genetic improvement of domestic pigs. This study aimed to investigate the evolution of convergence and divergence under selection in European and Asian domestic pigs by using public genome-wide data. A total of 164 and 108 candidate genes (CDGs) were obtained from the Asian group (wild boar vs. domestic pig) and the European group (wild boar vs. domestic pig), respectively, by taking the top 5% of intersected windows of a pairwise fixation index (FST) and a cross population extended haplotype homozygosity test (XPEHH). GO and KEGG annotated results indicated that most CDGs were related to reproduction and immunity in the Asian group. Conversely, rich CDGs were enriched in muscle development and digestion in the European group. Eight CDGs were subjected to parallel selection of Eurasian domestic pigs from local wild boars during domestication. These CDGs were mainly involved in olfactory transduction, metabolic pathways, and progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation. Moreover, 36 and 18 haplotypes of INPP5B and TRAK2 were identified in this study, respectively. In brief, this study did not only improve the understanding of the genetic evolution of domestication in pigs, but also provides valuable CDGs for future breeding and genetic improvement of pigs.
RESUMO
This study aimed to identify the genes related to the body size of pigs by conducting genome-wide selection analysis (GWSA). We performed a GWSA scan on 50 pigs belonging to four small-bodied pig populations (Diannan small-eared pig, Bama Xiang pig, Wuzhishan pig, and Jeju black pig from South Korea) and 124 large-bodied pigs. We used the genetic parameters of the pairwise fixation index (FST) and π ratio (case/control) to screen candidate genome regions and genes related to body size. The results revealed 47,339,509 high-quality SNPs obtained from 174 individuals, while 280 interacting candidate regions were obtained from the top 1% signal windows of both parameters, along with 187 genes (e.g., ADCK4, AMDHD2, ASPN, ASS1, and ATP6V0C). The results of the candidate gene (CG) annotation showed that a series of CGs (e.g., MSTN, LTBP4, PDPK1, PKMYT1, ASS1, and STAT6) was enriched into the gene ontology terms. Moreover, molecular pathways, such as the PI3K-Akt, HIF-1, and AMPK signaling pathways, were verified to be related to body development. Overall, we identified a series of key genes that may be closely related to the body size of pigs, further elucidating the heredity basis of body shape determination in pigs and providing a theoretical reference for molecular breeding.
RESUMO
Phenolic acids are widely found in fruits and vegetables. The inhibitory effect of phenolic acids on α-amylase, a key enzyme for starch digestion, has attracted the attention of researchers. To further investigate the effects of different substituents on the benzene ring of phenolic acid on the inhibition of α-amylase activity, in vitro experiments and molecular docking were used. The structure-activity relationships of 17 phenolic acids with benzoic acid as the parent nucleus were analyzed by determining their half inhibitory concentration (IC50) toward α-amylase. The results showed that 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzoic acid had the strongest inhibitory effect on α-amylase with an IC50 value of 17.30 ± 0.73 mM. According to the structure-activity analysis, the hydroxyl group at the 2-position on the benzene ring had a strong positive effect on the inhibitory activity of α-amylase, while methoxylation at the 2-position and hydroxylation at the 5-position had a negative effect. Molecular docking revealed that hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were involved in the inhibition, with hydrogen bonding being the primary force. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of phenolic acids as inhibitors of α-amylase and provide new ideas for the design of dietary formulations for diabetic patients.