Genetic variation at the alpha-1-fucosyltransferase (FUT1) gene in Asian wild boar and Chinese and Western commercial pig breeds.

Escherichia coli F18 bacteria producing enterotoxins and/or shigatoxin (ETEC/STEC) are main pathogens that cause oedema disease and postweaning diarrhoea in piglets, and alpha-1-fucosyltransferase (FUT1) gene has been identified as a candidate gene for controlling the expression of ETEC F18 receptor. The genetic variations at nucleotide position 307 in open reading frame of FUT1 gene in one wild boar breed and 20 western commercial and Chinese native pig breeds were investigated by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The results showed that the genetic polymorphisms of the FUT1 locus were only detected in western pig breeds and the Chinese Taihu (including Meishan pig, Fengjing pig and Erhualian pig), Huai and Lingao pig breeds; only Duroc and Pietrain possessed the resistant AA genotype, while the wild boar and other Chinese pig breeds only presented the susceptible genotype GG. The results indicated that Chinese native pig breeds lack genetic factors providing resistance to ETEC F18 bacteria. The resistant allele to ETEC F18 might originate from European wild boar. It was inferred that oedema and postweaning diarrhoea caused by ETEC F18 have close relationship with the growth rate, which can explain why on the contrary Chinese native pig breeds have stronger resistance to oedema and postweaning diarrhoea in piglets compared with western pig breeds.