These images show mutant Bama miniature pigs, with black coat denoting the mutations in pigs on the left and short limbs and small body size of those on the right. HAI ET AL., ELIFE, 2017For the first time, researchers report the use of the mutagenic chemical N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) to conduct a genetic screen in pigs. The data reveal mutations associated with splay leg, which makes it difficult for piglets to stand and walk, and also with inner ear malfunctions that mimic a similar condition in humans.
The results, published June 22 in eLife, suggest that mutagenesis caused by ENU could be used as an alternative to worms, fruit flies, and rodents to model human disease, and as a tool for the pork industry.
“Pigs are an important source of meat worldwide and are considered as preferred models of various human diseases,” study coauthor Jianguo Zhao of the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology in Beijing tells The Scientist in an email. Pigs are also similar to humans in organ size, along with other anatomical and physiological characteristics, and in their genetics. However, generating mutations with N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea and then linking changes in behavior and appearance to particular mutations has never been done in pigs before.
N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea is a potent ...
