2022 Volume 10 Issue 1 Pages 25-37
The Mangalica is a rare indigenous swine breed in Hungary that needs conservation and propagation, but there are few reports on its reproduction. In this study, the testis and epididymis in Mangalica were studied histological evaluation and gene expression analysis at 14 days after the birth and compared with commercial breed (Camborough). In the histological evaluation of testes, it was confirmed that the developmental stage of a germ cell was in the transition period from gonocytes to spermatogonial stem cells. It also showed that the total length of seminiferous tubule in Mangalica was shorter (P < 0.05) and the number of Sertoli cells in the testis was lower (P < 0.05) than Camborough. In addition, the gene expression analysis showed that Mangalica tended to have higher expression of SOX9, a transcription factor important for testis development, compared to Camborough. In this study, we revealed that the puberty and testis development in Mangalica were different to commercial breeds, and considered that it was necessary for the reproductive management to match the characteristics of Mangalica.
