• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.29-42
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• 2023

Objective: Pigs, an ideal biomedical model for human diseases, suffer from about 50% early embryonic and fetal death, a major cause of fertility loss worldwide. However, identifying the causal variant remains a huge challenge. This study aimed to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and candidate genes for the number of mummified (NM) piglets using the imputed whole-genome sequence (WGS) and validate the potential candidate genes. Methods: The imputed WGS was introduced from genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) using a multi-breed reference population. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for NM piglets at birth from a Landrace pig populatiGWAS peak located on SSC11: 0.10 to 7.11 Mbp (Top SNP, SSC11:1,889,658 bp; p = 9.98E-13) was identified in cyclin dependent kinase on. A total of 300 Landrace pigs were genotyped by GBS. The whole-genome variants were imputed, and 4,252,858 SNPs were obtained. Various molecular experiments were conducted to determine how the genes affected NM in pigs. Results: A strong GWAS peak located on SSC11: 0.10 to 7.11 Mbp (Top SNP, SSC11:1,889,658 bp; p = 9.98E-13) was identified in cyclin dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) gene, which plays a crucial role in embryonic retardation and lethality. Based on the molecular experiments, we found that Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) was a crucial transcription factor for CDK8, which mediated the effect of CDK8 in the proliferation of porcine ovarian granulosa cells via transforming growth factor beta/small mother against decapentaplegic signaling pathway, and, as a consequence, affected embryo quality, indicating that this pathway may be contributing to mummified fetal in pigs. Conclusion: A powerful imputation-based association study was performed to identify genes associated with NM in pigs. CDK8 was suggested as a functional gene for the proliferation of porcine ovarian granulosa cells, but further studies are required to determine causative mutations and the effect of loci on NM in pigs.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.479-484
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• 1991

Encephalomyocarditis(EMC) virus was isolated from the mummified and stillborn pigs at a swine farm in Chonnam Province, experienced with EMC infection over the period Oct.~Dec. of 1989. In addition some cultural, serological properties of the isolates and experimental infections in the piglets were studied. The results obtained were as follows; 1. Two EMC virus strains with HA titers and CPE similar to EMC-ATCC were established in a baby hamster kidney (BHK)-21 cell line by inoculating homogenates of brain and heart of the 19 mummified or stillborn pigs and designated $K_3$ and $K_{11}$. 2. At the second BHK-21 cell line passage of the initial isolates CPE appeared after incubation for 16~18 hours, while at the fourth and fifth passage the highest titer of HA was recorded, titer of HA using rat and guinea pig erythrocytes. 3. One pig inoculated with the isolate $K_3$ showed dyspnea as clinical signs and died at the 10 days after inoculation at necropsy white necrotic foci were observed from the dead animal heart. 4. Although all the rest surviving pigs showed increases in antibody titer and body temperature of $40^{\circ}C$ above for the initial 2~4 days followed by the return to normal, there were no gross lesions when the animals were sacrificed at the 2 weeks after inoculation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.441-446
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• 1990

Encephalomyocarditis virus infection in pigs, characterized by severe reproductive failure in sows and sudden death in less than 7 day-old-piglets, a period of several months from October to December of 1989, in Korea was occurred. The most outstanding gross lesions at necropsy were found in the heart which were consisted of pale, yellow brown necrotic foci of varying size in myocardium. In some cases, pulmonary edema and liver congestion were observed. Histopathology of the heart revealed the interstitial myocarditis, endocarditis and epicarditis with lymphocytic, plasmacytic and macrophage cell infiltration and, in some cases, calcification of the necrotic myocardial muscle fibers. In some cases of brain, the perivascular cuffing and glial nodules were observed. In the liver and the lacrimal gland varying degrees of multifocal necrosis were seen. The virus was isolated from the heart and the brain in a stillborn piglet and a mummified fetus. This outbreak represents the first case of encephalomyocarditis virus infection of pigs in Korea.