Porcine Fatty Acid Synthase Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Meat Quality and Fatty Acid Composition

We assessed the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the porcine fatty acid synthase (FASN) gene regarding meat quality and fatty acid composition in two pig populations: Korean native pigs (KNP) were crossed with Yorkshire (YS) F2, and KNP were crossed with Landrace (LR) F2. Direct DNA sequencing using eight KNP and eight YS pigs revealed two SNPs: c.265C>T (silent) in exon 4 and c.6545A>C (Asn→His) in exon 39. The frequency of the two SNPs was analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method in seven pig breeds and their association with meat quality traits and fatty acid composition was studied. In the KNP × YS F2 population, both SNPs were significantly associated with the level of monounsaturated fatty acids, including palmitoleic (C16:1) and oleic acid (C18:1) (pC was associated with intramuscular fat content in both populations. Our results indicate that variations in c.265C>T and c.6545A>C of the pig FASN can be used to select animals with better fatty acid composition and meat quality. Moreover, KNP was a useful breed for identifying genetic factors affecting meat quality and fatty acid composition and for producing high quality pork.