Associations of heart and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein gene expression with intramuscular fat content in pigs.
Intramuscular fat content is a major determinant of meat quality in pigs. Previously, polymorphisms in the adipocyte and heart fatty acid-binding protein genes, A-FABP and H-FABP, have been significantly associated with genetic variation of intramuscular fat content in a Duroc pig population. Further support for the role of H-FABP but not for A-FABP was found in a Meishan crossbred population. However, the effect of closely linked genes could not be excluded in these analyses. To validate the role of A-FABP and H-FABP in intramuscular fat accretion, 153 pigs of a crossbred genotype were evaluated for the A-FABP and H-FABP polymorphisms, mRNA, and protein expression levels of both FABP genes and intramuscular fat content in the longissimus lumborum muscle. For H-FABP, statistical analyses showed significant differences in mRNA but not protein expression levels between H-FABP HaeIII PCR-RFLP genotype classes. Between these genotype classes, significant differences in intramuscular fat content were found within barrows but not in gilts. Moreover, H-FABP mRNA but not protein expression levels were significantly related to intramuscular fat content. For A-FABP genotype classes, no significant differences in mRNA and protein expression levels were found. However, a significant difference in intramuscular fat content was found within barrows but not in gilts. In addition, a significant relationship between A-FABP mRNA but not protein expression levels and intramuscular fat content was found. In conclusion, variation of intramuscular fat content could not be explained by differences in A-FABP and H-FABP mRNA and protein expression levels. However, this may be due to limitations of the assays used and(or) the inappropriateness of the time of sampling. Finally, results suggest that A-FABP and H-FABP expression are translationally rather than transcriptionally regulated.
Gerbens
F
F
Department of Genetics and Reproduction, Institute for Animal Science and Health, ID-Lelystad, The Netherlands. f.gerbens@id.wag-ur.nl
Verburg
F J
FJ
Van Moerkerk
H T
HT
Engel
B
B
Buist
W
W
Veerkamp
J H
JH
te Pas
M F
MF
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy / Q000662:veterinary; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005838:Genotype; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger