Porcine stress syndrome (Malignant hyperthermia) is a devastating, a potentially lethal response to anesthetics that occurs in genetically predisposed individuals. Malignant hyperthermia triggered by stress leads to sudden death of animals resulted by pale, soft and exudative pork meat.

A mutation at position 1843 has been discovered in the ryanodine-receptor gene (RYR1) causing malignant hyperthermic syndrome in pigs. The substitution of T to C at that position in RYR1 receptor is changing a restriction site, enabling the PCR-RFLP test to be performed in order to identify animals homo and heterozygous for this mutation. This test has been used to identify affected (T/T) and normal (C/C) animals as well as heterozygous carriers (C/T).

Molecular diagnostics of porcine stress syndrome has been applied to exclude heterozygous carriers from breeding program.

CONTACT: Jelena Popovic, MSc

TEL: ++ 381 11 3976 212

FAX: ++ 381 11 3975 808

e-mail: jpopovic@imgge.bg.ac.rs