Position of Species and Molecular Phylogeny Based on Cytochrome C Subunit 1 Gene, Indigenous Pig from Nain Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

The debate on the position of local pig species or indigenous Sulawesi pigs, especially on small islands, is still developing. Local Sulawesi pigs are thought to be the ancestors of local pigs in the Philippines and other islands in the Pacific. This study analyzed the phenotypic characteristics, species position, and molecular phylogeny of local pigs from Nain Island using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene. Tail tissue was used for genomic DNA extraction, CO1 gene amplification was carried out by PCR method, and amplicon visualization used 0.8% gel electrophoresis. The forward and reverse CO1 gene sequences of local pigs were obtained by sequencing. Based on the CO1 gene, the results showed that local pigs on Nain Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, have the closest evolutionary relationship with Sus scrofa isolate Russia_T1 mitochondrion, complete genome [KX982633.1]. The construction of phylogenetic trees, both online at NCBI and using MEGA 12, showed high genetic variation in local pigs from Nain Island. The characteristics of the CO1 gene of local pigs on Nain Island are closest to wild boars (Sus scrofa). The results of this study strengthen the hypothesis that local pigs on small islands in Sulawesi tend to be a separate species from local pigs on the mainland of Sulawesi.