Base editing in pigs for precision breeding

Abstract

Pigs are one of the most important domesticated animals and have great value in agriculture and biomedicine. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are a dominant type of genetic variation among individual pigs and contribute to the formation of traits. Precision single base substitution provides a strategy for accurate genetic improvement in pig production with the characterization of functional SNPs and genetic variants in pigs. Base editing has recently been developed as the latest gene-editing tool that can directly make changes in single nucleotides without introducing double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs), providing a promising solution for precise genetic modification in large animals. This review summarizes gene-editing developments and highlights recent genetic dissection related to SNPs in major economic traits which may have the potential to be modified using SNP-editing applications. In addition, limitations and future directions of base editing in pig breeding are discussed.

Cytosine Base Editor (hA3A-BE3-NG)-Mediated Multiple Gene Editing for Pyramid Breeding in Pigs

“…In livestock, most of the economic traits were considered to be regulated by a massive number of SNPs in various genes ( Song et al, 2020 ). Thus, the ability to create precise and multiple genetic modification in various loci across the pig genome simultaneously is necessary for successful pyramid breeding.…”

“…With the development of functional genomics and bioinformatics, more and more SNPs responsible for economic traits have been identified in livestock ( Song et al, 2020 ). And many economic traits are majorly controlled or orchestrated by combinations of SNPs.…”

“…The conventional pig breeding is to pyramid desirable traits by cross breeding with cost and long breeding cycle. The genome-editing technology is an effective approach for pig improvement in growth, meat quality, reproductive capacity, and disease resistance ( Song et al, 2020 ). It is the desired goal to exploit efficient and precise genome-editing tools to achieve rapid pyramid breeding through modifying multiple agriculture-related functional genes simultaneously.…”

Porcine ANTXR1, Heparan Sulfate and Neu5Gc act as entry factors for Seneca Valley virus invasion

“…Recently, ANTXR1 knockout pigs were produced, and as expected, exhibited resistance to SVV infection, while these pigs also developed GAPO-like symptoms 29 . Based on the above results, more explicit structural investigations on the SVV-ANTXR1 complex are warranted in order to design accurate editing sites that destroy the function of virus receptor while maintaining its normal physiological function 30 .…”