Association of B3GNT5 polymorphisms with susceptibility to ETEC F4ab/ac in the white Duroc × Erhualian intercross and 15 outbred pig breeds.

The B3GNT5 gene is a candidate for the F4ab/ac receptor conferring susceptibility to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) F4ab/ac in pigs. In this study, we screened mutations in the complete coding region of the porcine B3GNT5 gene and identified four SNPs in the 3' untranslated regions. We genotyped the four SNPs across a large-scale White Duroc × Chinese Erhualian F2 resource population (total F2 = 755) and 292 purebred piglets representing 15 Chinese and Western breeds. We found that the g.1476G→A locus and haplotypes [A;T;G;T] and [A;G;G;T] had significant association with susceptibility to ETEC F4ac in the resource population. None of the B3GNT5 polymorphisms and haplotypes was associated with susceptibility to ETEC F4ab/ac in outbred piglets. This result, together with other reports, supports the conclusion that B3GNT5 is not the responsible gene encoding the ETEC F4ab/ac receptors.