A polymorphism in porcine miR-22 is associated with pork color

Han Wang; Zhonghao Shen; Ruihua Huang; Ayong Zhao; Jiani Jiang; Pinghua Li; Xiaolong Zhou; Songbai Yang; Liming Hou

doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.939440

A polymorphism in porcine miR-22 is associated with pork color

Front Vet Sci. 2022 Jul 28:9:939440. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.939440. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Han Wang¹, Zhonghao Shen¹, Ruihua Huang², Ayong Zhao¹, Jiani Jiang³, Pinghua Li², Xiaolong Zhou¹, Songbai Yang¹, Liming Hou²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Department of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China.
² Institute of Swine Science, Department of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
³ Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are posttranscriptional regulators that play key roles in meat color regulation. Changes in miRNA expression affect their target mRNAs, leading to multifunctional effects on biological processes and phenotypes. In this study, a G > A mutation site located upstream of the precursor miR-22 sequence in Suhuai pigs was significantly correlated with the meat color parameter a^*(redness) of the porcine longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle. AA genotype individuals had the highest average meat color a^* value and the lowest miR-22 level. When G > A mutation was performed in the miR-22 overexpression vector, miR-22 expression significantly decreased. Considering that Ca²⁺ homeostasis is closely related to pig meat color, our results further demonstrated that ELOVL6 is a direct target of miR-22 in pigs. The effects of miR-22 on skeletal muscle intracellular Ca²⁺ were partially caused by the suppression of ELOVL6 expression.

Keywords: ELOVL6; intracellular calcium concentration; meat color; miR-22; mutation; pig.