The phenotypic characteristics and relational database for Vietnamese native pig populations

Abstract

Although there are a number of Vietnamese native pig (VnP) populations, some are on the verge of extinction, and therefore adequate management and conservation are necessary. In this study, we conducted a field survey of VnP populations and analyzed interrelationships among their characteristics. We also established a relational database for management of field data on these populations. For data collection, we conducted interviews with farmers and visual inspection of 32 VnP populations in 22 provinces of Vietnam, as well as taking photographs of individual animals. Data on the characteristics of VnP populations were subjected to multiple correspondence analysis (MCA). For establishment of the database, normalization and table partitioning were performed to eliminate redundancy and ensure consistency of the collected data items. Passport data, characteristics data, and image data were collected from a total of 1,918 VnPs and entered as a normalized table. Upon MCA, most of the populations were not separated from each other, but the Mong Cai, O Lam, and Chu Prong populations were separated from the other populations. Thus, we have constructed a relational database from comprehensive information on the characteristics of VnP populations.

Population structure of Vietnamese pigs using mitochondrial DNA

“…A total of 260 samples of Vietnamese native pigs were collected from 20 provinces across the Northern to the Southern region in Vietnam (Figure 1, Tables 1 and S1). The definition of Vietnamese native pig populations or breeds followed that of Ishihara et al (2020). We selected one sample per farm based on pedigree information and farmers were interviewed to ascertain the unrelatedness of the samples.…”

Detection of non-reference porcine endogenous retrovirus loci in the Vietnamese native pig genome

“…The animal experiments were conducted in compliance with the institutional rules for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and using a protocol approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam (TCVN 8402:2010) and referred to the ARRIVE guidelines 2.0 34 . Blood samples were drawn from three sows collected from a pig farm only for breeding purposes in the Mu Can Chai District of Yen Bai Province, Vietnam 3 . No extra animal discomfort was caused for the blood sample collection for the purpose of this study.…”

“…No extra animal discomfort was caused for the blood sample collection for the purpose of this study. The population was defined as BanYB, as previously reported 3 . Genomic DNA was extracted from the blood samples with the QIAamp DNA Blood and Tissue Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany).…”

“…Vietnamese native pigs (VnPs) have acquired unique biological characteristics through a long history of breeding and fixation 2 . We recently identified 32 populations of indigenous VnP breeds that widely differ in appearance 3 . Using single-nucleotide polymorphism array and microsatellite marker data 4 , 5 , the genetic characteristics of the VnP populations were found to be closely correlated with the geographic distribution of their habitats.…”

“…Depending on the PERV copies, this evaluation may help increase the gene modification success rate for producing PERV-free organisms. Moreover, due to their small body size, the organs of VnPs exhibit physiological similarities to those of humans 3 . As such, the VnP is expected to be representing a suitable biomedical model for producing xenotransplants for humans.…”