POLYMORPHISMS IN GPX5 GENE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH PRODUCTION AND REPRODUCTION TRAITS IN NIANG MEGHA PIGS OF EASTERN HIMALAYA

The glutathione peroxidase 5 gene (GPX5) is closely associated with the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), which directly affects the reproductive traits in swine. The study was aimed to investigate polymorphism and find out associations between individual genotypes of the glutathione peroxidase 5 (GPX5) gene with reproduction and production traits in Niang Megha pigs. Genomic DNA was extracted and genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP technique. Polymorphisms at the Intron 1 of the GPX5 gene were determined by using PCR-RFLP with HinfI restriction enzyme and DNA sequencing analyses. Two alleles and three genotypes were identified by HinfI digestion of the GPX5 gene. In the SNP-HinfI (g.1896A>G) locus did not find a significant association between GPX5 polymorphism with reproduction and production traits. However, the least square mean (LSM) values for the genotype GG demonstrated superior litter size and body weight as compared to AA and AG genotypes in the studied population. These findings emphasize the importance of the porcine GPX5 gene in the performance traits of pig. Therefore, the porcine GPX5 gene may be used as a potential candidate gene for the genetic improvement of litter size traits in the pig breeding industry.