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Differences in highly repeated DNA sequences among three swine breeds genomes were detected by means of whole-comparative genomic hybridization (W-CGH). The results showed that Duroc, Iberian and Landrace/Large White breeds share similar DNA sequences in their centromeric regions, but the number of copies of the highly repeated DNA sequences building the blocks of heterochromatin in the metacentric chromosomes is differentially expanded among them. That is not the case in the acrocentric subgenome where the chromosomes share similar sequence composition and number of copies among the three breeds in the centromeric regions. The highly repeated DNA sequences in the chromosome Y also displayed differences among the breeds studied. The reported results are discussed in the light of the possible evolutionary tendencies of these particular DNA sequences. Resumen Se detectaron diferencias en los ADNs repetidos de tres razas de cerdo mediante Hibridacion Genomica Comparativa-Completa (W-CGH). Los resultados revelaron que las razas Duroc, Iberica y Landrace/Large White, comparten secuencias repetidas similares en sus regiones centromericas, pero el numero de copias de estas en las regiones centromericas del subgenoma metacentrico muestra distinto numero de copias entre las razas. Por el contrario el subgenoma acrocentrico muestra tanto la misma composicion de secuencias altamente repetidas como de numero de copias. Las secuencias repetidas del cromosoma Y tambien mostraron diferencias en su abundancia relativa entre las tres especies estudiadas. Los resultados obtenidos se discutieron en terminos de las particulares tendencias evolutivas de este tipo de secuencias.

Pigs were among the first animals to be domesticated and pork is one of the most widely eaten meats in the world today. The pig has also been an excellent biomedical model for understanding a variety of human health issues such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, female reproductive health, cardiovascular disease, and infectious diseases. Genome sequencing, mapping, expression and functional analyses have significantly advanced our ability to unravel the secrets of the pig. Therefore, this edition, with six reviews from leading scientists, offers the opportunity for all interested researchers and readers to see the big picture of porcine genomics.