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PLoS Genetics Issue Image | Vol. 15(3) March 2019

Embryonic lethals impairing fertility in pigs.

Pigs are an excellent model to study harmful mutations causing embryonic lethality in homozygous affected individuals. In their study, Derks et al. identified five such recessive loci that impair the function of essential genes causing embryonic lethality in pigs. The lethal recessives affect up to 3% of the population litters, responsible for the death of 1 in 200 embryos. The study is intended to be used to lower the frequency of these harmful mutations to improve fertility in popular commercial pig breeds. See Derks et al.

Download March's cover page.

Image Credit: Anatolii Tsekhmister

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Embryonic lethals impairing fertility in pigs.

Pigs are an excellent model to study harmful mutations causing embryonic lethality in homozygous affected individuals. In their study, Derks et al. identified five such recessive loci that impair the function of essential genes causing embryonic lethality in pigs. The lethal recessives affect up to 3% of the population litters, responsible for the death of 1 in 200 embryos. The study is intended to be used to lower the frequency of these harmful mutations to improve fertility in popular commercial pig breeds. See Derks et al.

Download March's cover page.

Image Credit: Anatolii Tsekhmister

https://doi.org/10.1371/image.pgen.v15.i03.g001