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Polymorphisms in twelve candidate genes are associated with growth, muscle lipid profile and meat quality traits in eleven European cattle breeds

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Abstract

Current customers’ demands focus on the nutritional and sensory quality of cattle meat. Candidate gene approach allows identification of genetic polymorphisms that have a measurable effect on traits of interest. The aim of this work is to identify new molecular markers for beef production through an association study using 27 candidate genes and 314 purebred bulls from 11 European cattle breeds. Twelve genes were found associated with different lipid and meat quality traits, and among these stand out the considerable effect of CAST on fatness score, CGGBP1 on growth traits, HSPB1 on the percentage of lauric acid (12:0) and phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA 22:6 n − 3), RORA on the ratio of light absorption (K) to light scattering (S) (K/S), and TNFA on lightness (L*). Most of these traits are related to post-mortem muscle biochemical changes, which are key factors controlling meat quality and consumers’ acceptance. Also, the variations produced on muscle fatty acid profiles, such as those of AANAT, CRH, CSN3, HSPB1, and TNFA, give insights into the genetic networks controlling these complex traits and the possibility of future improvement of meat nutritional quality.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by an EC grant QLK5 – CT2000-0147.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Av. Puerta de Hierro, s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    N. Sevane & S. Dunner

  2. Dpto. Genética y Mejora Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UdelaR, Montevideo, Uruguay

    E. Armstrong

  3. The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9PS, Scotland, UK

    P. Wiener & R. Pong Wong

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  1. N. Sevane
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  2. E. Armstrong
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  4. R. Pong Wong
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  5. S. Dunner
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GemQual Consortium

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Correspondence to S. Dunner.

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The members of GemQual Consortium is listed in Appendix.

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Appendix

Appendix

GeMQual Consortium: Albertí P Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Gobierno de Aragón, 50080, Zaragoza, Spain; Amarger V. Delourme D. Levéziel H. INRA, UMR 1061, 87000 Limoges, France and Université de Limoges, UMR 1061, 87000 Limoges; Boitard S. Mangin B. INRA Chemin de Borde-Rouge-Auzeville, BP 52627, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan cedex, France; Cañón J. Checa ML. Dunner S. García D. Miranda ME. Pérez R. Dpto de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Christensen M. Ertbjerg P. Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg C., Denmark; Crisá A. Marchitelli C. Valentini A. Dipartimento di Produzioni Animali, Università della Tuscia, via De Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; Failla S. Gigli S. CRA, Istituto Sperimentale per la Zootecnia, 00016 Monterotondo, Italy; Hocquette JF. INRA, UR1213, Unité de Recherches sur les Herbivores, Centre de Clermont-Ferrand/Theix F-63122, France; Nute G., Richardson I. Division of Farm Animal Science, University of Bristol, BS40 5DU, United Kingdom; Olleta JL., Panea B., Sañudo C.  Dept de Producción Animal y Ciencia de los Alimentos, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain; Razzaq N. Roslin Institute, Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland. EH25 9PS, UK; Renand G. INRA, UR337, Station de Génétique Quantitative et Appliquée, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas cedex, France; Williams. JL. Parco Tecnologico Padano, Via Einstein, Polo Universitario, 26900 Lodi, Italy.

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Sevane, N., Armstrong, E., Wiener, P. et al. Polymorphisms in twelve candidate genes are associated with growth, muscle lipid profile and meat quality traits in eleven European cattle breeds. Mol Biol Rep 41, 4721–4731 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-014-3343-y

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