Genetic markers associated with resistance to infectious diseases have no effects on production traits and haematological parameters in Italian Large White pigs

Infectious diseases have large economic impacts on the pig breeding industry worldwide. A few genetic markers associated to disease resistance have been recently identified and used in marker-assisted selection (MAS) in a few pig populations, as part of disease control programs. Neonatal Diarrhea (ND), Post-weaning Diarrhea (PWD), caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli, and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, caused by PRRS virus (PRRSV), are diseases with high priority for the pig industry. Since interactions or antagonism between growth, innate immunity and disease resistance traits could exist, this work investigated if four disease resistance gene markers [mucin 4 (MUC4), rs338992994 associated with resistance to ND; fucosyltransferase 1 (FUT1), rs335979375 associated with resistance to PWD; and guanylate binding protein 1 (GBP1), rs340943904 and rs80800372 (also known as WUR10000125) associated with resistance to PRRS] could affect seven production traits (average daily gain, back fat thickness, lean meat cuts, feed gain ratio, ham weight, visible intermuscular fat and ham weight loss at first salting) and 15 haematological parameters in about 550 performance tested Italian Large White pigs. We also monitored allele frequencies of the same markers on Italian Large White boars sampled under the national selection breeding program over a 20 years-period. Moreover, we evaluated allele frequencies of these polymorphisms in four Italian local pig breeds (Apulo-Calabrese, Casertana, Cinta Senese and Nero Siciliano). The frequency of the resistance-associated alleles for the four polymorphisms was usually higher in all local pig breeds, indirectly supporting a higher rusticity of autochthonous breeds, compared to commercial populations. The two GBP1 polymorphisms were not in complete linkage disequilibrium in all breeds, except in Apulo-Calabrese. No significant allele frequency change for the investigated markers occurred over 20 years in the Italian Large White boar population in three of these markers. Only FUT1 showed a modest but significant change of allele frequencies over this period. Association analyses carried out in Italian Large White pigs for production traits, meat quality or haematological parameters under investigation showed no significant effect of any genotyped polymorphisms. Our results indicate that implementing MAS programs in Italian Large White pigs with polymorphisms associated with disease resistance have no direct effects on production traits. The selection program running for this heavy pig breed might not negatively impact disease resistance derived by the investigated major genes

AGATA-Advanced GAmma Tracking Array

AGATA CollaborationThe Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) is a European project to develop and operate the next generation gamma-ray spectrometer. AGATA is based on the technique of gamma-ray energy tracking in electrically segmented high-purity germanium crystals. This technique requires the accurate determination of the energy, time and position of every interaction as a gamma ray deposits its energy within the detector volume. Reconstruction of the full interaction path results in a detector with very high efficiency and excellent spectral response. The realisation of gamma-ray tracking and AGATA is a result of many technical advances. These include the development of encapsulated highly segmented germanium detectors assembled in a triple cluster detector cryostat, an electronics system with fast digital sampling and a data acquisition system to process the data at a high rate. The full characterisation of the crystals was measured and compared with detector-response simulations. This enabled pulse-shape analysis algorithms, to extract energy, time and position, to be employed. In addition, tracking algorithms for event reconstruction were developed. The first phase of AGATA is now complete and operational in its first physics campaign. In the future AGATA will be moved between laboratories in Europe and operated in a series of campaigns to take advantage of the different beams and facilities available to maximise its science output. The paper reviews all the achievements made in the AGATA project including all the necessary infrastructure to operate and support the spectrometer. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.AGATA and this work is supported by the European funding bodies and the EU Contract RII3-CT-2004-506065, the German BMBF under Grants 06K-167 and 06KY205I, the Swedish Research Council and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, UK EPSRC Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK STFC Science and Technology Facilities Council, AWE plc, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (Proj. nr. 106T055) and Ankara University (BAP Proj. nr. 05B4240002), the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education under Grant DPN/N190/AGATA/2009, the Spanish MICINN under grants FPA2008-06419 and FPA2009-13377-C02-02, the Spanish Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Programme CPAN (contract number CSD2007-00042) the Generalitat Valenciana under Grant PROMETEO/2010/101, and research performed in the frame of the GSI-IN2P3 collaboration agreement number 02-42. MICINN, Spain, and INFN, Italy, through the AIC10-D-000568 bilateral action.Peer Reviewe