Biotech Updates

USDA Scientists Finds Gene Defect as Cause of Stress Syndrome in Pigs

May 15, 2013

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have discovered that a gene defect is the reason behind the recently discovered stress syndrome in pigs. The new syndrome has been observed by producers and researchers after pigs were exposed to stress such as transportation, and the symptoms were found to be different from classical porcine stress syndrome which was eliminated from U.S swine herds years ago.

To map the disease, molecular biologist Dan Nonneman and his team in the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) re-mated the original parents of the siblings with disorders to produce more litters. All the offsprings were genotyped and the chromosomal region containing dystrophin was linked with the syndrome.

Read more about the research at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2013/130429.htm