Resumen de An ec-funded project on characterisation of genetic variation in the european pig. objectives, organisation, breed sampling, DNA preparation and circulation

Y. Boscher, L. Ollivier, Y. Amigues

• The overall objective of the project (PigBioDiv) was to demonstrate the applicability of molecular biology tools for evaluating pig genetic diversity. Use was made of two marker technologies, namely microsatellites and arbitrary amplification of fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Altogether, including this project (PigBioDiv) and a previous pilot project (PiGMaP), s eventeen European teams and an international organisation (FAO) contributed to the work. This paper outlines the various tasks which were shared among the participants and particularly the sampling scheme and the subsequent circulation of the DNA samples among the partners. DNA was extracted from about 50 pigs from each population. The populations considered included 69 European domestic breeds (or lines) and, in addition, the Chinese Meishan breed and a sample of European wild pigs. The European populations sampled belonged to 3 categories, namely local breeds, national varieties of international breeds and commercial lines mostly derived from the previous category. Difficulties were met during the project, particularly in sampling rare breeds under extensive conditions. The number of individuals and the diversity of origin recommended could not be reached in a few local breeds. Although the problems encountered significantly compromised the work plan initially intended, it was possible to complete all tasks that were proposed. The project has demonstrated how effectively commercial and public sector entities can work together. Guidelines have been developed in the project in view of more efficient international implementations of the approach.