The Asp298Asn missense mutation in the porcine melanocortin-4 receptor ( MC4R) gene can be used to affect growth and carcass traits without an effect on meat quality
- PMID: 22444853
- DOI: 10.1017/S1751731107000456
The Asp298Asn missense mutation in the porcine melanocortin-4 receptor ( MC4R) gene can be used to affect growth and carcass traits without an effect on meat quality
Abstract
A promising tool to improve daily gain in pigs is the missense mutation (Asp298Asn) in the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) gene, especially in the Belgian pig industry where the slow-growing Piétrain breed is very frequently used as the sire breed. The MC4R is expressed in the appetite-regulating region of the brain where it regulates feed intake and energy balance. The mutation has been associated with differences in fatness, daily gain and feed intake. However, less information on the correlated effects on meat quality is available. In order to evaluate the influence of the MC4R mutation on carcass and meat quality parameters, a total of 1155 pigs of a four-way cross were slaughtered at an average live weight of 109 kg, and data about daily live-weight gain, carcass and meat quality were collected. Allelic frequencies were 0.69 for the G-allele (298Asp variant or well-conserved variant) and 0.31 for the A-allele (298Asn variant or the mutated variant). Barrows and gilts were almost equally distributed in this population with, respectively, 49.9% and 50.1%. Moreover, independent of this mutation, the relationship between average daily gain (ADG) and carcass on the one hand and meat quality traits on the other hand was evaluated in this population. A significant positive influence of the MC4R mutation on ADG (P < 0.001) was found, accompanied by a higher fat thickness (P < 0.05) and a lower carcass lean meat content (P < 0.01), whereas muscle thickness and carcass conformation traits were not affected. The effects on meat quality traits were not significant, except for a lower shear force (P = 0.054) and a higher intramuscular fat content (P = 0.052) in AA animals. In the longissimus, pH and pork quality meter (PQM) values were not influenced, and effects on drip loss and colour were not apparent. Residual correlation coefficients between ADG and carcass lean meat content on the one hand and meat quality traits on the other hand were generally very low (|r|>0.1). Higher ADG, higher carcass fat thickness and lower carcass lean meat content were correlated with slightly lower shear force values (|r|∼0.1, P < 0.05). In conclusion, in the studied population, the Asp298Asn mutation in the MC4R gene was associated with improved daily gain, higher carcass fatness and almost no effect on meat quality traits.
Similar articles
-
Association of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) with feed intake, growth, fatness and carcass composition in pigs raised in Poland.Meat Sci. 2010 Jun;85(2):297-301. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2010.01.017. Epub 2010 Feb 1. Meat Sci. 2010. PMID: 20374902
-
Evaluation of the porcine melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) gene as a positional candidate for a fatness QTL in a cross between Landrace and Hampshire.Anim Genet. 2006 Aug;37(4):359-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2006.01488.x. Anim Genet. 2006. PMID: 16879346
-
Association of MC4R gene variants with growth, fatness, carcass composition and meat and fat quality traits in heavy pigs.Meat Sci. 2006 May;73(1):42-7. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2005.10.016. Epub 2005 Dec 15. Meat Sci. 2006. PMID: 22062052
-
Genetic parameters for residual feed intake in growing pigs, with emphasis on genetic relationships with carcass and meat quality traits.J Anim Sci. 2007 Dec;85(12):3182-8. doi: 10.2527/jas.2006-590. Epub 2007 Sep 4. J Anim Sci. 2007. PMID: 17785600
-
The effect of immunization against gonadotropin-releasing factor in market gilts: Meta-analyses of parameters relevant for pig producers, pork packers and retailers/consumers.Res Vet Sci. 2020 Aug;131:159-172. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2020.04.012. Epub 2020 Apr 16. Res Vet Sci. 2020. PMID: 32387811 Review.
Cited by
-
A critical analysis of production-associated DNA polymorphisms in the genes of cattle, goat, sheep, and pig.Mamm Genome. 2008 Sep;19(9):591-617. doi: 10.1007/s00335-008-9141-x. Epub 2008 Oct 4. Mamm Genome. 2008. PMID: 18836775 Review.
-
The variation of insulin like growth factor 2 maker is associated with growth traits in Thai native (Kradon) pigs.Anim Biosci. 2023 Sep;36(9):1350-1356. doi: 10.5713/ab.22.0431. Epub 2023 May 4. Anim Biosci. 2023. PMID: 37170502 Free PMC article.
-
Family of melanocortin receptor (MCR) genes in mammals-mutations, polymorphisms and phenotypic effects.J Appl Genet. 2013 Nov;54(4):461-72. doi: 10.1007/s13353-013-0163-z. Epub 2013 Aug 31. J Appl Genet. 2013. PMID: 23996627 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Genetic Marker Discovery in Complex Traits: A Field Example on Fat Content and Composition in Pigs.Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Dec 14;17(12):2100. doi: 10.3390/ijms17122100. Int J Mol Sci. 2016. PMID: 27983643 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Identify known and novel candidate genes associated with backfat thickness in Duroc pigs by large-scale genome-wide association analysis.J Anim Sci. 2022 Feb 1;100(2):skac012. doi: 10.1093/jas/skac012. J Anim Sci. 2022. PMID: 35034121 Free PMC article.
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources