title: Haplotypes of the porcine peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta gene are associated with backfat thickness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta belongs to the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-inducible transcription factors. It is a key regulator of lipid metabolism. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta gene (PPARD) has been assigned to a region on porcine chromosome 7, which harbours a quantitative trait locus for backfat. Thus, PPARD is considered a functional and positional candidate gene for backfat thickness. The purpose of this study was to test this candidate gene hypothesis in a cross of breeds that were highly divergent in lipid deposition characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Screening for genetic variation in porcine PPARD revealed only silent mutations. Nevertheless, significant associations between PPARD haplotypes and backfat thickness were observed in the F2 generation of the Mangalitsa x Piétrain cross as well as a commercial German Landrace population. Haplotype 5 is associated with increased backfat in F2 Mangalitsa x Piétrain pigs, whereas haplotype 4 is associated with lower backfat thickness in the German Landrace population. Haplotype 4 and 5 carry the same alleles at all but one SNP. Interestingly, the opposite effects of PPARD haplotypes 4 and 5 on backfat thickness are reflected by opposite effects of these two haplotypes on PPAR-delta mRNA levels. Haplotype 4 significantly increases PPAR-delta mRNA levels, whereas haplotype 5 decreases mRNA levels of PPAR-delta.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence for an association between PPARD and backfat thickness. The association is substantiated by mRNA quantification. Further studies are required to clarify, whether the observed associations are caused by PPARD or are the result of linkage disequilibrium with a causal variant in a neighbouring gene.
authors: Chair of Animal Breeding, Technical University of Munich, Hochfeldweg 1, 85354 Freising - Weihenstephan, Germany. karina.meidtner@tierzucht.tum.de
authors: Karina
authors: K
authors: Meidtner
authors: Hermann
authors: H
authors: Schwarzenbacher
authors: Maren
authors: M
authors: Scharfe
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Severitt
authors: Helmut
authors: H
authors: Blöcker
authors: Ruedi
authors: R
authors: Fries
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D006239:Haplotypes; D047494:PPAR delta / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D047494:PPAR delta; D012333:RNA, Messenger