Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) population as reservoirs for deleterious mutations in the RYR1 gene associated with Porcine Stress Syndrome

Abstract

Porcine Stress Syndrome (PSS) is a disorder codified by the ryanodine receptor 1 gene (RYR1) and affects both animal welfare and the quality of the meat product. As a consequence, individuals with this syndrome generate great worldwide economic losses in the porcine industry. In Argentina, the Buenos Aires Province is the most involved on this activity, and productions are to be in open field with a higher frequency of pigs with diverse pathologies. On the other hand, the biggest and oldest wild pigs population is located on the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires Province, which presents a continuous bidirectional flow of individuals with the productive areas nearby. The aim of this study is to detect the presence of the RYR1 deleterious allele in the wild population from the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires, in order to evaluate its possible role as a genetic reservoir for said allele. For this purpose, 106 wild pigs from 28 sites were studied, finding a 6.6% of carrier individuals, indicating that the wild population is not free of this allele. This constitutes the first analysis to detect the presence of the RYR1 deleterious allele, associated to the PSS in wild pigs from Argentina, being one of the few studies to report it worldwide and suggesting wild pigs populations to be a possible genetic reservoir for this disease.

Keywords: Argentina; Deleterious allele; Genetic reservoir; Porcine stress syndrome; Ryanodine receptor 1 gene; wild pigs.

Fig. 1

Sampling localities on the Atlantic coast of the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The sampling sites of the N = 106 wild pigs used in this study are indicated with a number. 1. Boca Arroyo Espinillo, Atalaya, Magdalena; 2. Ea. El Destino, Magdalena; 3. Ea. San Isidro, Magdalena; 4. Magdalena; 5. Ea. El Bagual, Punta Indio; 6. Verónica, Punta Indio; 7. Ea. Dos de Abril, Punta Indio; 8. Ea. Las Colinas, Bahía Samborombón, Punta Indio; 9. Ea. Barón de Montijo, Bahía Samborombón, Chascomús; 10. Ea. Rincón de López, Bahía Samborombón, Castelli; 11. Canal Aliviador del Salado, Bahía Samborombón, Castelli; 12. Ea. Ensenada de San Martin, Bahía Samborombón, Castelli; 13. Ea. El Principio, Bahía Samborombón, Castelli; 14. Canal San José, Bahía Samborombón, Castelli; 15. Canal 9, Bahía Samborombón, Tordillo; 16. Canal 1, Bahía Samborombón, Tordillo; 17. Ea. Don Miguel, Bahía Samborombón, Tordillo; 18. Ea. El Gato, Bahía Samborombón, Tordillo; 19. Ea. Malele, Bahía Samborombón, Tordillo; 20. Ea. Santa Lucía, Bahía Samborombón, Tordillo; 21. Canal 2, Bahía Samborombón, Tordillo; 22. Canal 9, Bahía Samborombón, Dolores; 23. Campos del Tuyú, Bahía Samborombón, Gral. Lavalle; 24. Paraje Pavón, Gral. Lavalle; 25. Reserva Natural Laguna Salada Grande, Gral. Madariaga; 26. Gral. Madariaga; 27. Mar Chiquita; 28. Balcarce.