title: New SNP of the porcine perilipin 2 (PLIN2) gene, association with carcass traits and expression analysis in skeletal muscle.
abstract: PLIN2 (perilipin 2) is a cytosolic protein that promotes the formation and stabilization of the intracellular lipid droplets, organelles involved in the storage of lipid depots. Porcine PLIN2 gene represents a biological and positional candidate for fat deposition, a polygenic trait that affects carcass and meat quality. The aim of the present study was to screen PLIN2 gene for polymorphisms, to evaluate the association with carcass quality traits, and to investigate the gene expression in skeletal muscle. Six new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were detected by sequencing 32 samples from five pig breeds (Italian Large White, Italian Duroc, Italian Landrace, Belgian Landrace, Pietrain). Two SNP localized in introns, two in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR), and two missense SNP were found in exons. A 3'-UTR mutation (GU461317:g.98G>A), genotyped in 290 Italian Duroc pigs by High Resolution Melting, resulted significantly associated (P < 0.01) with average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, lean cuts and hams weight estimated breeding values. PLIN2 gene expression analysis in skeletal muscle of Italian Large White and Italian Duroc pigs divergent for backfat thickness and visible intermuscular fat showed a trend of higher expression level in pigs with higher intermuscular fat. These results suggest that PLIN2 can be a marker for carcass quality in pigs. Further investigation at both gene and protein level could elucidate its role on fat deposition.
authors.affiliation: DIPROVAL, Sezione di Allevamenti Zootecnici, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bologna, Via F.lli Rosselli 107, 42100 Reggio, Emilia, Italy. roberta.davoli@unibo.it
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davoli
authors.forename: Greta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gandolfi
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Braglia
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Comella
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zambonelli
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buttazzoni
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Russo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005787:Gene Frequency; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D007558:Italy; D008460:Meat; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D000070778:Perilipin-1; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D000070778:Perilipin-1; D010750:Phosphoproteins