Linkage of procine locus for esterase D with a lethal factor

摘要

This work is devoted to a linkage study of the gene controlling esterase D and a lethal factor in domestic pig. Segregation for two alleles EsD~B, which originated from populations of miniature swine and pigs of a large white breed and the effect of these variants on the number of offspring in a litter were compared. The results showed a linkage of locus EsD with a lethal factor. This lethal factor causes the mortality of homozygotes and half of the heterozygotes in a litter, which depends on the litter size. The lethal factor was found to be absent in mminiature pigs, and in the large white breed it is predomminantly linked with allele EsD~B. The effect of the lethal factor on population and fecundity is discussed.