Effect of Expressions and SNPs of Candidate Genes on Intramuscular Fat Content in Qinchuan Cattle

oleh: Yaxing Li, Gong Cheng, Takahisa Yamada, Jianfeng Liu, Linsen Zan, Bin Tong

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-08-01

Deskripsi

Marbling is characterized by the amount and distribution of intramuscular fat (IMF). The <i>AKIRIN2</i>, <i>TTN</i>, <i>EDG1</i>, and <i>MYBPC1</i> genes are well-known marbling-related genes, which were first identified in Japanese Black beef cattle. The objectives of this study were to analyze the correlation of the expression levels of these genes in the <i>longissimus</i> muscle (LM) with IMF content, and the associations between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these genes and IMF content in Chinese Qinchuan cattle (n = 350). The association analyses showed that the g.42041062G>T SNP in the <i>EDG1</i> gene was significantly associated with IMF content in Qinchuan (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Further, the expressions of the <i>EDG1</i> and <i>MYBPC1</i> were up-regulated (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in LM of Qinchuan cattle group with low IMF content. Down-regulations of the <i>AKIRIN2</i> and <i>TTN</i> genes (<i>p</i> < 0.05 and <i>p</i> < 0.01, respectively) were observed in the Qinchuan cattle group with high IMF content. These results suggest possible effects of the expression levels of selected genes on IMF content in the LM, and the g.42041062G>T SNP in the <i>EDG1</i> gene might be useful as a molecular marker for IMF content in Qinchuan.