Association study between backfat fatty acid composition and SNPs in candidate genes highlights the effect of FASN polymorphism in large white pigs

Martina Zappaterra; Diana Luise; Paolo Zambonelli; Marcello Mele; Andrea Serra; Leonardo Nanni Costa; Roberta Davoli

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.05.013

Association study between backfat fatty acid composition and SNPs in candidate genes highlights the effect of FASN polymorphism in large white pigs

Meat Sci. 2019 Oct:156:75-84. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.05.013. Epub 2019 May 14.

Authors

Martina Zappaterra¹, Diana Luise², Paolo Zambonelli³, Marcello Mele⁴, Andrea Serra⁵, Leonardo Nanni Costa⁶, Roberta Davoli⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 46, 40127 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: martina.zappaterra2@unibo.it.
² Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 46, 40127 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: diana.luise2@unibo.it.
³ Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 46, 40127 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: paolo.zambonelli@unibo.it.
⁴ Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.. Electronic address: marcello.mele@unipi.it.
⁵ Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.. Electronic address: andrea.serra@unipi.it.
⁶ Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 46, 40127 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: leonardo.nannicosta@unibo.it.
⁷ Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), University of Bologna, Viale Fanin 46, 40127 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: roberta.davoli@unibo.it.

PMID: 31132591
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.05.013

Abstract

The objective of the study was to test the associations between backfat fatty acid composition (FAC) in a sample of 536 Italian Large White pigs and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in candidate genes, using univariate and multivariate approaches. The strongest associations were identified for the SNP AY183428 c.265T>C in Fatty acid synthase (FASN) gene, with the T allele linked to lower backfat contents of stearic (P = 0.003) and arachidic (P < 0.0001) acids, and increased amounts of dihomo-γ-linolenic (P = 0.003) and arachidonic (P = 0.009) acids. These associations were in agreement with the results of a multivariate analysis performed on backfat FAC, and an in silico analysis of the sequence flanking FASN SNP suggested that the T allele may disrupt a putative exonic splicing enhancer sequence therefore possibly affecting FASN activity. If the results will be further confirmed, the studied FASN SNP could be of particular interest for better understanding the regulative patterns controlling porcine backfat FAC.

Keywords: Adipose tissue; Marker; Meat quality; Multivariate; Repeated motif; Swine.

MeSH terms

Animals
Fatty Acid Synthases / genetics*
Fatty Acids / analysis*
Fatty Acids / genetics
Female
Male
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Subcutaneous Fat / chemistry*
Sus scrofa / genetics*

Substances

Fatty Acids
Fatty Acid Synthases