Award details

Regulation of expression of pig hepatic cytochrome P4502E1 and 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase - physiological candidate genes for boar taint

Reference	BB/C506221/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Alan Archibald
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Roslin Institute
Department	Genetics and Genomics
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	55,468
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/03/2005
End date	31/03/2008
Duration	37 months

Abstract

Boar taint is an offensive odour in the meat of some uncastrated male pigs, and is due to accumulation in adipose tissue of the natural products skatole and androstenone. These compounds are normally metabolised in the liver by pathways involving the enzymes cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) and 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) respectively. We have shown that these two enzymes are expressed at abnormally low levels in the livers of animals accumulating high skatole and androstenone. The project aims to identify any functional polymorphisms in the genes for these enzymes or in associated regulatory genes which could account for their low expression in liver. The pig gene encoding HSD (termed HSD3B) has been shown to map to pig chromosome 4 which contains QTL for high androstenone and this gene will be sequenced. Any functional polymorphisms found in HSD3B will be developed and evaluated as genetic markers for high androstenone. Promoter analysis, DNA footprinting and gel shift assays will be used to identify DNA binding proteins which bind to the promoter regions of the CYP2E1 gene and/or HSD3B genes. One or more of these transcription factors may be differentially expressed in high and low skatole pigs. Any functional polymorphisms found in transcription factor genes which map to QTL for high skatole or androstenone will similarly be developed as genetic markers for boar taint. (Joint with BB/C506072/1).

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Faraday: Genesis (FGEN) [2004-2005]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

Associated awards:

BB/C506072/1 Regulation of expression of pig hepatic cytochrome P4502E1 and 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase - physiological candidate genes for boar taint

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