Associations of heart and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein gene expression with intramuscular fat content in pigs

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2001-02, Vol.79 (2), p.347-354
• Main Authors: Gerbens, F, Verburg, F. J, Van Moerkerk, H. T, Engel, B, Buist, W, Veerkamp, J. H, te Pas, M. F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: A-FABP gene; Acids; Adipocytes - metabolism; Adipocytes - physiology; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Animal productions; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy - veterinary; Blotting, Western - veterinary; Carrier Proteins - biosynthesis; Carrier Proteins - genetics; Crosses, Genetic; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation; Genetics; Genotype; H-FABP gene; Heart; Heart - physiology; Hogs; ID Lelystad, Institute for Animal Science and Health; ID-Lelystad, Instituut voor Dierhouderij en Diergezondheid; Male; Metabolism; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Muscular system; Myocardium - metabolism; Neoplasm Proteins; Oils & fats; Polymorphism, Genetic; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Proteins; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sus scrofa; Swine - genetics; Swine - metabolism; Swine - physiology; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; WIAS
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163; 0021-8812
• DOI: 10.2527/2001.792347x

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.