Association analysis of the sorting nexin 29 (SNX29) gene copy number variations with growth traits in Diannan small-ear (DSE) pigs.

Abstract<italic>SNX29</italic> is a potential functional gene associated with meat production traits. Previous studies have shown that <italic>SNX29</italic> copy number variation (CNV) could be implicated with phenotype in goats. However, in Diannan small-ear (DSE) pigs, the genetic impact of <italic>SNX29</italic> CNV on growth traits remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the associations between <italic>SNX29</italic> CNVs (CNV10810 and CNV10811) and growth traits in 415 DSE pigs. The results revealed that the CNV10810 mutation was significantly associated with backfat thickness in DSE pigs at 12 and 15 months old (<italic>P</italic> < 0.05), while the CNV10811 mutation had significant effects on various growth traits at 6 and 12 months old, particularly for body weight, body height, back height and backfat thickness (<italic>P</italic> < 0.05 or <italic>P</italic> < 0.001). In conclusion, our results confirm that <italic>SNX29</italic> CNV plays a role in regulating growth and development in pigs, thus suggesting its potential application for pig breeding programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]