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Reproductive traits have a key impact on production efficiency in the pig industry. It is necessary to identify the genetic structure of potential genes that influence reproductive traits. In this study, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on chip and imputed data of five reproductive traits, namely, total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), litter birth weight (LBW), gestation length (GL), and number of weaned (NW), was performed in Yorkshire pigs. In total, 272 of 2844 pigs with reproductive records were genotyped using KPS Porcine Breeding SNP Chips, and then chip data were imputed to sequencing data using two online software programs: the Pig Haplotype Reference Panel (PHARP v2) and Swine Imputation Server (SWIM 1.0). After quality control, we performed GWAS based on chip data and the two different imputation databases by using fixed and random model circulating probability unification (FarmCPU) models. We discovered 71 genome-wide significant SNPs and 25 potential candidate genes (e.g., SMAD4, RPS6KA2, CAMK2A, NDST1, and ADCY5). Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes are mainly enriched in the calcium signaling pathway, ovarian steroidogenesis, and GnRH signaling pathways. In conclusion, our results help to clarify the genetic basis of porcine reproductive traits and provide molecular markers for genomic selection in pig breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acidity is a critical determinant for fruit sweetness in fleshy fruits. A recent molecular genetic study in sweet melon has revealed that the PH gene, encoding a protein most closely related to the Arabidopsis auxin efflux carrier family (PILS), acts as a critical regulator of fruit acidity. To provide insights into the possible role of PH-LIKE (PHL) genes in strawberry fruit acidity control, we identified a total of six PHL genes, FvPHL1 to FvPHL6, in a diploid strawberry fruit model system, Fragaria vesca L. Yellow Wonder 5AF7. These FvPHL genes exhibit distinct organ expression patterns. FvPHL1, the melon PH ortholog, was expressed in roots, leaves, flowers and fruits, while FvPHL2/3/6 were preferentially expressed in fruits. In addition, FvPHL genes exhibit fruit development and ripening-related expression patterns. Interestingly, FvPHL1/3/5/6 were all induced by exogenous auxin treatments in seedlings. In addition, FvPHL5 was slightly inhibited by abscisic acid (ABA), while the other five PHL genes were up-regulated by ABA in seedlings. However, auxin and ABA did not seem to affect FvPHL expression in developing fruits. These results indicate that some of FvPHL genes may be involved in auxin and ABA response in seedling growth and act in fruit development including acidity control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]