title: Genome-wide association analysis reveals genetic loci and candidate genes for meat quality traits in Chinese Laiwu pigs.
abstract: Meat quality traits have economically significant impacts on the pig industry, and can be improved using molecular approaches in pig breeding. Since 1994 when the first genome-wide scan for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in pig was reported, over the past two decades, numerous QTLs have been identified for meat quality traits by family based linkage analyses. However, little is known about the genetic variants for meat quality traits in Chinese purebred or outbred populations. To unveil it, we performed a genome-wide association study for 10 meat quality traits in Chinese purebred Laiwu pigs. In total, 75 significant SNPs (P < 1.01 × 10(-6)) and 33 suggestive SNPs (P < 2.03 × 10(-5)) were identified. On SSC12, a region between 56.22 and 61.49 Mb harbored a cluster of SNPs that were associated with meat color parameters (L*, lightness; a*, redness; b*, yellowness) and moisture content of longissimus muscle (LM) and semimembranosus muscle at the genome-wide significance level. A region on SSC4 also has pleiotropic effects on moisture content and drip loss of LM. In addition, this study revealed at least five novel QTLs and several candidate genes including 4-linked MYH genes (MYH1, MYH2, MYH3, and MYH13), MAL2, LPAR1, and PRKAG3 at four significant loci. Except for the SSC12 QTL, other QTLs are likely tissue-specific. These results provide new insights into the genetic basis of meat quality traits in Chinese Laiwu pigs and some significant SNPs reported here could be incorporated into the selection programs involving this breed.
authors: Key Laboratory for Animal Biotechnology of Jiangxi Province and the Ministry of Agriculture of China, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China.
authors: Xinwei
authors: X
authors: Xiong
authors: Xianxian
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Lisheng
authors: L
authors: Zhou
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Yang
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Yang
authors: Huanban
authors: H
authors: Ma
authors: Xianhua
authors: X
authors: Xie
authors: Yixuan
authors: Y
authors: Huang
authors: Shaoming
authors: S
authors: Fang
authors: Shijun
authors: S
authors: Xiao
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Ren
authors: Congying
authors: C
authors: Chen
authors: Junwu
authors: J
authors: Ma
authors: Lusheng
authors: L
authors: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D063427:Food Quality; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006239:Haplotypes; D015810:Linkage Disequilibrium; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D013552:Swine