Association between the splice mutation g.8283C>A of the PHKG1 gene and meat quality traits in Large White pigs

Abstract

Pork technological and sensory qualities are greatly affected by water-holding capacity (WHC), pH, color, tenderness, and chemical composition, and the identification of genetic markers affecting these traits is regarded as a primary goal in pig selection. Phosphorylase Kinase Catalytic Subunit Gamma 1 (PHKG1) gene has been reported in the literature to be a candidate gene for meat drip loss, ultimate pH, color and glycolytic potential. This study was mainly aimed at testing whether PHKG1 g.8283C>A SNP was associated with meat quality traits in heavy pigs. The associations between PHKG1 g.8283C>A SNP, WHC, meat color and pH measurements were evaluated in 250 Italian Large White pigs. The marker showed an additive effect on WHC (P = .008) and a dominant effect on a* color parameter (P = .004). Further studies are needed to elucidate the effects of this polymorphism on heavy pig meat quality traits before this mutation could be considered a marker of interest for heavy pig selection schemes.

Keywords: Genetic marker; Heavy pig; Pig meat color; Selection; Water holding capacity.