Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (1): 136-146.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2025.01.013

• Animal Genetics and Breeding • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Differential Expression Study of Structural Variation in the Ubiquitin Ligase 2 Gene of Xiang Pigs with Wrinkled Skin

ZHOU Xianshan1(), HUANG Shihui1, NIU Xi2, RAN Xueqin1,*(), WANG Jiafu2,*()   

  1. 1. College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
    2. Institute of Agricultural Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
  • Received:2024-07-09 Online:2025-01-23 Published:2025-01-18
  • Contact: RAN Xueqin, WANG Jiafu E-mail:343485021@qq.com;xqran@gzu.edu.cn;jfwang@gzu.edu.cn

Abstract:

The present study aimed to explore whether the structural variation in CUL2 affected the gene expression and wrinkle severity on skin of Xiang pigs. The 200 skins and blood samples were collected from Xiang pigs with wrinkled skin and common Xiang pigs in 6 months old. The polymorphic distribution of the CUL2-I3-sv300 site was examined using PCR method. Based on the prediction of potential functional elements within the structural variation region, and the interaction between CUL2 gene and other related genes by softwares online such as UCSC, the expression levels of CUL2 and those collagen formation-related genes were determined using RT-qPCR and Western blot methods. The results showed that the structural variation CUL2-I3-sv300 exhibited abundant polymorphism within the pig populations. Genotypes of the mutant (MM), the heterozygous (WM) and the wild (WW) were detected from skins of the common Xiang pigs, while type WW was not detected from the Xiang pig with wrinkled skin. Furthermore, the allele M was significantly more abundant in Xiang pigs with wrinkled skin compared with that in the common Xiang pigs (P < 0.05). Based on the bioinformatics analysis, several elements were screened from the structural variation region including a short interspersed nuclear element (SINE), three intronic splicing silencers (ISS) and four RNA binding protein sites (RBPs). And CUL2 might regulate HIF-1α, indirectly change VEGFA, MMP-1, and MMP-9, and eventually affect the formation of skin collagen. After detection by using both of the wrinkled skin and common skin, the mRNA and protein levels of CUL2 expression were higher in the wrinkled skin with MM genotypes than that with other genotypes in wrinkled and common skins. Moreover, the expression of CUL2, MMP-1 and MMP-9 were up-regulated, while mRNA levels of HIF-1α, VEGFA, COL1A1, COL3A1 and COL6A3 genes were down-regulated in Xiang pig with wrinkled skin compared with samples from the common Xiang pig.It is suggested that the loss of those functional elements in the structural variation region might promote the expression of CUL2 while inhibit collagen formation, thereby aggravating the severity of skin wrinkles on Xiang pig body.

Key words: Xiang pigs with wrinkled skin, CUL2 gene, collagen, wrinkled skin, bioinformatics analysis

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