Carcass composition and meat quality of indigenous Yanan pigs of China

The Yanan (YN) pig is a traditional Chinese indigenous breed that is raised in southwest China in the Sichuan Province, but there is little data on the germplasm characteristics of this breed. To evaluate carcass characteristics and meat quality of the YN pig, we compared carcass and meat quality of YN pigs and Landrace × Yanan (CY) hybrid pigs; 30 YN pigs and 30 CY pigs weighing 20 ± 2 kg were reared and slaughtered at the normal slaughter weight (100-120 kg). The carcasses were chilled and the left carcass side was dissected into bone, lean meat, fat, and skin; meat quality parameters were measured. Carcasses of YN pigs were lighter (88.85 vs 90.05 kg, P < 0.05) and shorter (71.88 vs 77.61 cm, P < 0.001); they contained less lean meat (41.60 vs 49.25%, P < 0.001), less ham and breech (25.93 vs 27.53%, P < 0.001) and less carcass bone (9.83 vs 10.53%, P < 0.01) than did carcasses of CY pigs. On the other hand, YN pigs had more carcass subcutaneous fat and skin (48.58 vs 40.23%, P < 0.001), thicker backfat (3.67 vs 3.43 cm, P < 0.001) and smaller loin muscle area (9.83 vs 26.91 cm(2), P < 0.001) compared with CY pigs. Among meat quality parameters, YN pigs had higher pH(1) (6.41 vs 6.17, P < 0.001), higher color score(u) (3.86 vs 3.36, P < 0.001) and lower Minolta L(u) values (40.89 vs 45.32, P < 0.01) than CY pigs. On the other hand, YN pigs had lower drip loss (1.31 vs 2.26%, P < 0.05) and lesser fiber area (2351.34 vs 3025.43 μm(2), P < 0.01) than CY pigs. Both breeds had high intramuscular fat (4.46% in YN and 4.45% in CY). No significant differences in other carcass traits and meat quality were found in the two populations. We conclude that YN pigs could be used in commercial pig production to provide good tasting and high-quality niche products.     

Productive performance, carcass and meat quality of intact and castrated gilts slaughtered at 106 or 122 kg BW

A total of 200 (Landrace × Large White dam × Pietrain × Large White sire) gilts of 50 ± 3 days of age (23.3 ± 1.47 kg BW) were used to investigate the effects of castration (intact gilt, IG v. castrated gilt, CG) and slaughter weight (SW; 106 v. 122 kg BW) on productive performance, carcass and meat quality. Four treatments were arranged factorially and five replicates of 10 pigs each per treatment. Half of the gilts were ovariectomized at 58 days of age (8 days after the beginning of the trial at 29.8 ± 1.64 kg BW), whereas the other half remained intact. The pigs were slaughtered at 106 or 122 kg BW. Meat samples were taken at Musculus longissimus thoracis at the level of the last rib and subcutaneous fat samples were taken at the tail insertion. For the entire experimental period, CG had higher (P < 0.05) BW gain and higher (P < 0.001) backfat and Musculus gluteus medius fat thickness than IG. However, IG had higher (P < 0.05) loin and trimmed primal cut yields than CG. Meat quality was similar for IG and CG but the proportion of linoleic acid in subcutaneous fat was higher (P < 0.001) for IG. Pigs slaughtered at 122 kg BW had higher (P < 0.001) feed intake and poorer feed efficiency than pigs slaughtered at 106 kg BW. An increase in SW improved (P < 0.001) carcass yield but decreased (P < 0.05) trimmed primal cut yield. Meat from pigs slaughtered at the heavier BW was redder (a*; P < 0.001) and had more (P < 0.01) intramuscular fat and less thawing (P < 0.05) and cooking (P < 0.10) loss than meat from pigs slaughtered at the lighter BW. In addition, pigs slaughtered at 122 kg BW had less (P < 0.01) linoleic acid content in subcutaneous fat than pigs slaughtered at 106 kg BW. Castration of gilts and slaughtering at heavier BW are useful practices for the production of heavy pigs destined to the dry-cured industry in which a certain amount of fat in the carcass is required. In contrast, when the carcasses are destined to fresh meat production, IG slaughtered at 106 kg BW is a more efficient alternative.     

Evaluation of the Chinese indigenous pig breed Dahe and crossbred Dawu for growth and carcass characteristics, organ weight, meat quality and intramuscular fatty acid and amino acid composition

The objectives of the experiment were to evaluate growth and carcass characteristics, organ weight, meat quality and intramuscular fatty acid (FA) and amino acid composition between the Chinese indigenous pig breed Dahe and the crossbred Dawu. The Dahe pigs had lower average daily gain (P < 0.001) and a higher feed conversion ratio (P < 0.001) compared with the Dawu pigs. The Dahe pigs contained less lean meat percentage (P < 0.001) and more carcass fat percentage (P < 0.001) compared with the Dawu pigs. For organ weight, the Dahe pigs had lower relative heart weight and small intestine weight, respectively, compared with that of the Dawu pigs (P < 0.001). In addition, the Dahe pigs showed higher pH values (at 45 min and 24 h, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively), higher Marbling score (P < 0.05), lower Minolta L values (at 45 min and 24 h, P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively) and lower muscle fiber area (P < 0.05) than did the Dawu pigs. C18:1, C16:0, C18:0 and C18:2 were the main FAs and nine essential amino acids were found in the Longissimus dorsi of the two breeds.     

Effect of compensatory growth on performance, carcass composition and plasma IGF-1 in grower finisher pigs

A total of 48 female pigs (Large White × Landrace × Duroc cross) were used to determine whether a compensatory feed regime influenced performance, carcass composition and the level of plasma IGF-1. Pigs of initial age 73 days were fed a commercial diet at 0.70 of ad libitum (R) for 40 days followed by a return to ad libitum feeding for a further 42 days. The control group was fed ad libitum (A) throughout. Groups of animals on R and A feed regimes were slaughtered at the end of restriction period (SL1), 2 days after refeeding ad libitum (SL2) to establish the more immediate effects of refeeding on IGF levels, and after 42 days refeeding (SL3; n = 8 for each group). As expected, during the restriction period, average daily live weight gain in all the slaughter groups of R pigs was significantly lower than A pigs (P < 0.01); there was no significant difference in feed conversion ratios. In the re-alimentation period of SL3, R pigs grew 12.9% faster (P = 0.033), indicating compensatory growth. At SL1, there was a trend for carcass weight (P = 0.108) of A pigs to be higher than R pigs, but at SL2 live weight and carcass weight of A pigs were significantly heavier than R pigs (P < 0.05), but not at SL3. For killing-out percentage, there was no difference in SL1. After refeeding for 2 days (SL2) and 42 days (SL3), R pigs had significantly lower killing-out percentage than A pigs (P < 0.05). As a proportion of live weight, R pigs had smaller heart, kidney and liver (P < 0.05) than A pigs at SL1. At SL2, only the kidney was smaller in the restricted group (P < 0.05) and there were no significant differences in SL3. As a proportion of carcass weight, Longissimus dorsi was heavier in the R pigs at SL1 (P = 0.108) and SL2 (P < 0.05), but not at SL3. At SL1, there was a trend for intramuscular fat of A pigs to be higher than R pigs. The plasma IGF-1 level was lower in R pigs than A pigs (P = 0.010) at SL1, and slightly lower at SL2 (P = 0.110), with no significant differences at SL3. Dietary restriction period influenced plasma IGF-1 levels, which returned to the ad libitum group levels when animals were refed, as did live weight and carcass weight. It appears that the internal organs and possibly fat, but not muscles, underwent a compensatory response when animals were refed.     

Expression profiling analysis for genes related to meat quality and carcass traits during postnatal development of backfat in two pig breeds

The competitive equilibrium of fatty acid biosynthesis and oxidation in vivo determines porcine sub-cutaneous fat thickness(SFT) and intramuscular fat(IMF) content.Obese and lean-type pig breeds show obvious differences in adipose deposition;however, the molecular mechanism underlying this phenotypic variation remains unclear.We used pathway-focused oligo microarray studies to examine the expression changes of 140 genes associated with meat quality and carcass traits in backfat at five growth stages(1―5 months) of Landrace(a leaner, Western breed) and Taihu pigs(a fatty, indigenous, Chinese breed).Variance analysis(ANOVA) revealed that differences in the expression of 25 genes in Landrace pigs were significant(FDR adjusted permutation, P<0.05) among 5 growth stages.Gene class test(GCT) indicated that a gene-group was very significant between 2 pig breeds across 5 growth stages(PErmineJ<0.01), which consisted of 23 genes encoding enzymes and regulatory proteins associ-ated with lipid and steroid metabolism.These findings suggest that the distinct differences in fat deposition ability between Landrace and Taihu pigs may closely correlate with the expression changes of these genes.Clustering analysis revealed a very high level of significance(FDR adjusted, P<0.01) for 2 gene expression patterns in Landrace pigs and a high level of significance(FDR adjusted, P<0.05) for 2 gene expression patterns in Taihu pigs.Also, expression patterns of genes were more diversified in Taihu pigs than those in Landrace pigs, which suggests that the regulatory mechanism of micro-effect polygenes in adipocytes may be more complex in Taihu pigs than in Landrace pigs.Based on a dy-namic Bayesian network(DBN) model, gene regulatory networks(GRNs) were reconstructed from time-series data for each pig breed.These two GRNs initially revealed the distinct differences in physiological and biochemical aspects of adipose metabolism between the two pig breeds;from these results, some potential key genes could be identified.Quantitative, real-time RT-PCR(QRT-PCR) was used to verify the microarray data for five modulated genes, and a good correlation between the two measures of expression was observed for both 2 pig breeds at different growth stages(R=0.874±0.071).These results highlight some possible candidate genes for porcine fat characteristics and provide some data on which to base further study of the molecular basis of adipose metabolism.     

Breed difference and regulation of the porcine adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone sensitive lipase by TNFα

Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) are major novel triglyceride lipases in animals. The aim of this study was to determine if there are differences in the porcine ATGL ( pATGL ) and HSL genes between Jinhua pigs (a fatty breed) and Landrace pigs (a leaner breed). In addition, the effect of TNFα and pATGL-specific siRNA ( pATGL-siRNA ) on the expression of pATGL and HSL in porcine adipocytes was also examined. Compared with Landrace pigs, the body weight ( BW ) of Jinhua pigs was lower ( P <  0.01), while intramuscular fat content (in the longissimus dorsi muscle), as well as the back fat thickness and body fat content were higher ( P <  0.01). The expression of pATGL and HSL mRNA in Jinhua pigs was lower ( P <  0.01) in subcutaneous adipose tissue, and greater ( P <  0.01) in longissimus dorsi muscle compared with Landrace pigs. In vitro treatment of porcine adipocytes with TNFα decreased ( P <  0.01) the glycerol release and the gene expression of pATGL , HSL and PPARγ in porcine adipocytes. Furthermore, transfection with pATGL-siRNA significantly decreased ( P <  0.01) the expression of pATGL , while it had no effect on the expression of HSL . Treatment with 25 ng/ml TNFα in conjunction with pATGL-siRNA significantly decreased ( P <  0.01) the expression of pATGL and HSL in cultured porcine adipocytes. These results provide useful information to further the understanding of the function of pATGL and HSL in porcine lipid metabolism, which should be applicable to the regulation of fat deposition and improvement of meat quality.     

Beef production potential of Norwegian Red and Holstein-Friesian bulls slaughtered at two ages

There is a paucity of data on the beef production potential of Norwegian Red (NOR) compared with 'modern' Holstein-Friesian (HF) cattle. The present study used a total of 64 bulls in a 2 × 2 factorial design study encompassing two breeds (HF and NOR) and two slaughter ages (485; E, and 610; L, days). The mean initial age and live weight of the HF bulls were 179 (s.d. 47.1) days and 203 (s.d. 64.0) kg, while the corresponding data for the NOR bulls were 176 (s.d. 39.7) days and 185 (s.d. 63.6) kg, respectively. Bulls were offered a 50 : 50 mixture (dry matter (DM) basis) of grass silage and concentrates. No breed × slaughter group interactions were recorded for any parameters evaluated (P > 0.05). HF bulls had higher (P < 0.001) DM intake and poorer (P < 0.01) efficiency of conversion of food to carcass gain than NOR bulls. HF bulls tended (P = 0.07) to have a higher rate of live-weight gain and were heavier (P < 0.001) at slaughter than NOR bulls, though both carcass weight and rate of carcass gain did not differ between the breeds (P > 0.05). NOR bulls had higher (P < 0.001) dressing proportion and carcass conformation score than HF bulls, while breed of bull had no influence (P > 0.05) on carcass fat classification, depth of subcutaneous fat, marbling score or on the weight of fat in the internal depots. Daily food intakes did not differ (P > 0.05) across the two slaughter age groups, though efficiency of conversion of food to carcass gain was poorer (P < 0.05) in the L compared with E bulls. Rate of live-weight gain was lower (P < 0.01) for L bulls, although rate of carcass gain did not differ (P > 0.05) between the E and L bulls. Increasing age at slaughter increased (P < 0.01 or greater) dressing proportion, carcass fat class, depth of subcutaneous fat, marbling score and internal fat depots, but had no effect (P > 0.05) on the carcass conformation score. Instrumental measures of meat quality indicated that meat from NOR bulls was tougher (P < 0.01) than meat from HF bulls, while delaying slaughter increased (P < 0.001) a* and C*ab, and decreased (P < 0.01) h0, indicating improved redness. It is concluded that NOR bulls have higher food efficiency and produce more highly conformed carcasses than HF bulls, but HF bulls produce more tender meat.     

猪脂肪组织中IGF2和IGFBP3基因表达的发育性变化及其品种差异

采用荧光定量PCR技术分析长白猪和太湖猪背部皮下脂肪组织中胰岛素样生长因子2和胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白3基因在30、60、90、120和150日龄时表达水平的发育性变化。结果表明: (1)品种内日龄间比较, 长白猪IGF2 mRNA 在30日龄时的表达量极显著高于其他日龄(P<0.01), 之后逐渐下降, 至120日龄降到最低, 150日龄时又明显上升; 太湖猪IGF2 mRNA在30~60日龄的表达量较高, 90日龄降至最低, 120日龄迅速回升, 之后又有所下降。两品种IGFBP3 mRNA表达的发育性变化模式基本相同, 30日龄时表达量最高, 60日龄显著下降(P<0.05), 之后趋于平缓但略有波动。(2)品种间同日龄比较, 120日龄时太湖猪IGF2 mRNA的表达量极显著高于长白猪(P<0.01), 150日龄时太湖猪IGFBP3的表达量极显著低于长白猪(P<0.01), 其余日龄间两品种差异均不显著(P>0.05)。研究结果提示: 猪脂肪组织IGF2和IGFBP3基因表达存在明显的发育性变化和品种差异; IGF2基因表达水平的降低可能与脂肪细胞的增殖有关。     

Differential expression of lipid metabolism-related genes and myosin heavy chain isoform genes in pig muscle tissue leading to different meat quality

The aim of this study was to investigate the variations in meat quality, lipid metabolism-related genes, myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoform genes and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) gene mRNA expressions in longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) of two different pig breeds. Six Rongchang and six Landrace barrows were slaughtered at 161 days of age. Subsequently, meat quality traits and gene expression levels in LM were observed. Results showed that Rongchang pigs not only exhibited greater pH, CIE a*_{24 h} and intramuscular fat content but also exhibited lower body weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, LM area and CIE b*_{24 h} compared with Landrace pigs (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the mRNA expression levels of the lipogenesis (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase) and fatty acid uptake (lipoprotein lipase)-related genes were greater in the Rongchang (P<0.05), whereas the lipolysis (adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone sensitive lipase) and fatty acid oxidation (carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1B)-related genes were better expressed in the Landrace. Moreover, compared with the Landrace, the mRNA expression levels of MyHCI, MyHCIIa and MyHCIIx were greater, whereas the mRNA expression levels of MyHCIIb were lower in the Rongchang pigs (P<0.05). In addition, the mRNA expression levels of PGC-1α were greater in Rongchang pigs than in the Landrace (P<0.05), which can partly explain the differences in MyHC isoform gene expressions between Rongchang and Landrace pigs. Although the small number of samples does not allow to obtain a definitive conclusion, we can suggest that Rongchang pigs possess better meat quality, and the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the better meat quality in fatty pigs may be partly due to the higher mRNA expression levels of lipogenesis and fatty acid uptake-related genes, as well as the oxidative and intermediate muscle fibers, and due to the lower mRNA expression levels of lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation-related genes, as well as the glycolytic muscle fibers.     

Expression profiling analysis for genes related to meat quality and carcass traits during postnatal development of backfat in two pig breeds

The competitive equilibrium of fatty acid biosynthesis and oxidation in vivo determines porcine subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) and intramuscular fat (IMF) content. Obese and lean-type pig breeds show obvious differences in adipose deposition; however, the molecular mechanism underlying this phenotypic variation remains unclear. We used pathway-focused oligo microarray studies to examine the expression changes of 140 genes associated with meat quality and carcass traits in backfat at five growth stages (1–5 months) of Landrace (a leaner, Western breed) and Taihu pigs (a fatty, indigenous, Chinese breed). Variance analysis (ANOVA) revealed that differences in the expression of 25 genes in Landrace pigs were significant (FDR adjusted permutation, P<0.05) among 5 growth stages. Gene class test (GCT) indicated that a gene-group was very significant between 2 pig breeds across 5 growth stages (P _ErmineJ<0.01), which consisted of 23 genes encoding enzymes and regulatory proteins associated with lipid and steroid metabolism. These findings suggest that the distinct differences in fat deposition ability between Landrace and Taihu pigs may closely correlate with the expression changes of these genes. Clustering analysis revealed a very high level of significance (FDR adjusted, P<0.01) for 2 gene expression patterns in Landrace pigs and a high level of significance (FDR adjusted, P<0.05) for 2 gene expression patterns in Taihu pigs. Also, expression patterns of genes were more diversified in Taihu pigs than those in Landrace pigs, which suggests that the regulatory mechanism of micro-effect polygenes in adipocytes may be more complex in Taihu pigs than in Landrace pigs. Based on a dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) model, gene regulatory networks (GRNs) were reconstructed from time-series data for each pig breed. These two GRNs initially revealed the distinct differences in physiological and biochemical aspects of adipose metabolism between the two pig breeds; from these results, some potential key genes could be identified. Quantitative, real-time RT-PCR (QRT-PCR) was used to verify the microarray data for five modulated genes, and a good correlation between the two measures of expression was observed for both 2 pig breeds at different growth stages (R=0.874±0.071). These results highlight some possible candidate genes for porcine fat characteristics and provide some data on which to base further study of the molecular basis of adipose metabolism.     

土著发酵床对商品猪生产性能和血液生化指标的影响

目的采集徐州当地土著微生物作为原始菌株制作发酵床,考察土著发酵床对商品猪生产性能及血液生化指标的影响。方法选择60头杜×长×大三元配套系仔猪进行实验,仔猪断奶日龄为21 d。实验组商品猪饲喂于发酵床猪舍,对照组饲喂于水泥地面猪舍。每组设3个重复,每个重复随机选取健康仔猪10头。仔猪饲喂125 d后考察土著发酵床对商品猪生产性能和血液生化指标的影响。结果土著发酵床具有一定提高商品猪日增重的效果,并可显著降低料重比（P〈0.05）,但对猪酮体品质未产生显著影响。在血液生化指标方面,实验组商品猪血液中的总蛋白、白蛋白、碱性磷酸酶含量均显著高于对照组（P〈0.05）。结论土著发酵床可以提高猪的生长性能和免疫机能。     

Effect of sire breed on carcass characteristics and meat and fat quality of heavy pigs reared outdoor and intended for dry-cured meat production

A trial was conducted to study the effect of sire line (Duroc (DU) and Pietrain (PI)) on carcass, meat and fat quality of pigs reared outdoor and destined to dry-cured meat production. No differences between sire genotypes were detected in carcass fat thickness (P > 0.10) but carcasses from DU-sired pigs were longer (P < 0.05) and tended to have a higher yield of trimmed shoulders (P = 0.07) and hams (P = 0.06) than carcasses from PI-sired pigs. Loins from DU-sired genotype showed higher (P < 0.05) L* value and lower (P < 0.01) a* value than loins from PI-sired genotype. Pork from DU-sired offspring tended to have higher (P = 0.09) intramuscular fat (IMF) percentage and lower (P < 0.05) moisture proportion than meat from PI-sired offspring. Also, loins from DU-sired pigs had lower (P < 0.001) thawing losses than loins from PI-sired pigs. The subcutaneous fat from the DU-sired line tended to show lower (P = 0.08) percentage of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) than that from the PI-sire line, mostly due to the higher proportion of C18:2 (P = 0.09) and C20:3 (P < 0.01). However, no effect of crossbreed was detected on the total proportion of saturated, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFAs) or PUFAs of IMF (P > 0.10). We conclude that both sire lines can be used successfully under outdoor conditions but DU boars are more adequate than PI boars for the production of heavy pigs intended for the dry-cured meat industry.     

New SNP of the porcine Perilipin 2 (<Emphasis Type="Italic">PLIN2</Emphasis>) gene,association with carcass traits and expression analysis in skeletal muscle

PLIN2 (perilipin 2) is a cytosolic protein that promotes the formation and stabilization of the intracellular lipid droplets, organelles involved in the storage of lipid depots. Porcine PLIN2 gene represents a biological and positional candidate for fat deposition, a polygenic trait that affects carcass and meat quality. The aim of the present study was to screen PLIN2 gene for polymorphisms, to evaluate the association with carcass quality traits, and to investigate the gene expression in skeletal muscle. Six new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were detected by sequencing 32 samples from five pig breeds (Italian Large White, Italian Duroc, Italian Landrace, Belgian Landrace, Pietrain). Two SNP localized in introns, two in the 3′-untranslated region (UTR), and two missense SNP were found in exons. A 3′-UTR mutation (GU461317:g.98G>A), genotyped in 290 Italian Duroc pigs by High Resolution Melting, resulted significantly associated (P < 0.01) with average daily gain, feed conversion ratio, lean cuts and hams weight estimated breeding values. PLIN2 gene expression analysis in skeletal muscle of Italian Large White and Italian Duroc pigs divergent for backfat thickness and visible intermuscular fat showed a trend of higher expression level in pigs with higher intermuscular fat. These results suggest that PLIN2 can be a marker for carcass quality in pigs. Further investigation at both gene and protein level could elucidate its role on fat deposition.     

Live animal measurements, carcass composition and plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations in male progeny of sires differing in genetic merit for beef production

In genetic improvement programmes for beef cattle, the effect of selecting for a given trait or index on other economically important traits, or their predictors, must be quantified to ensure no deleterious consequential effects go unnoticed. The objective was to compare live animal measurements, carcass composition and plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations of male progeny of sires selected on an economic index in Ireland. This beef carcass index (BCI) is expressed in euros and based on weaning weight, feed intake, carcass weight and carcass conformation and fat scores. The index is used to aid in the genetic comparison of animals for the expected profitability of their progeny at slaughter. A total of 107 progeny from beef sires of high (n = 11) or low (n = 11) genetic merit for the BCI were compared in either a bull (slaughtered at 16 months of age) or steer (slaughtered at 24 months of age) production system, following purchase after weaning (8 months of age) from commercial beef herds. Data were analysed as a 2 × 2 factorial design (two levels of genetic merit by two production systems). Progeny of high BCI sires had heavier carcasses, greater (P < 0.01) muscularity scores after weaning, greater (P < 0.05) skeletal scores and scanned muscle depth pre-slaughter, higher (P < 0.05) plasma insulin concentrations and greater (P < 0.01) animal value (obtained by multiplying carcass weight by carcass value, which was based on the weight of meat in each cut by its commercial value) than progeny of low BCI sires. Regression of progeny performance on sire genetic merit was also undertaken across the entire data set. In steers, the effect of BCI on carcass meat proportion, calculated carcass value (c/kg) and animal value was positive (P < 0.01), while a negative association was observed for scanned fat depth pre-slaughter and carcass fat proportion (P < 0.01), but there was no effect in bulls. The effect of sire expected progeny difference (EPD) for carcass weight followed the same trends as BCI. Muscularity scores, carcass meat proportion and calculated carcass value increased, whereas scanned fat depth, carcass fat and bone proportions decreased with increasing sire EPD for conformation score. The opposite association was observed for sire EPD for fat score. Results from this study show that selection using the BCI had positive effects on live animal muscularity, carcass meat proportion, proportions of high-value cuts and carcass value in steer progeny, which are desirable traits in beef production.     

Effects of the monoclonal antibody against porcine 40 kDa adipocyte-specific plasma membrane protein on adipocytes and carcass composition

The effects of the mouse monoclonal antibody against 40 kDa adipocyte-specific plasma membrane protein on porcine adipocytes and carcass composition were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Results revealed that the in vitro complement-mediated cytotoxicity of this monoclonal antibody can lead to adipocyte lysis, remarkable reduction of adipocyte lipid accumulation （P〈0.01）, and significant decrease of well-differentiated fat cells （P〈0.01）. Treatment of adipocytes with this antibody alone in vitro did not induce cell lysis, but could lead to noticeable reduction of well-differentiated cells and lipid accumulation （P〈0.05） at the pre-adipocyte stage. In vivo, pigs injected with 0.5 mg/kg or 1.0 mg/kg of antibody showed smaller adipocyte sizes （P〈0.01） and reduced lipid accumulation of adipocytes （P〈0.01）. Our results also indicated that pigs intraperitoneally or subcutaneously immunized with 0.5 mg/kg of monoclonal antibody at 15 kg or 1.0 mg/kg antibody at 60 kg had a higher lean meat percentage （P〈0.05）, larger loin eye area （P〈0.05）, lower fat meat percentage （P〈0.05）, less backfat thickness （P〈0.05） and smaller leaf fat weight （P〈0.05） than the control pigs, but other carcass traits such as caul fat weight, heart weight, liver weight, spleen weight, kidney weight, lung weight, and dressing percentage were not significantly affected. These results suggested that this monoclonal antibody could be applied to restrain excessive fat deposition in porcine production.     

The Asp298Asn missense mutation in the porcine melanocortin-4 receptor ( MC4R) gene can be used to affect growth and carcass traits without an effect on meat quality

A promising tool to improve daily gain in pigs is the missense mutation (Asp298Asn) in the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) gene, especially in the Belgian pig industry where the slow-growing Piétrain breed is very frequently used as the sire breed. The MC4R is expressed in the appetite-regulating region of the brain where it regulates feed intake and energy balance. The mutation has been associated with differences in fatness, daily gain and feed intake. However, less information on the correlated effects on meat quality is available. In order to evaluate the influence of the MC4R mutation on carcass and meat quality parameters, a total of 1155 pigs of a four-way cross were slaughtered at an average live weight of 109 kg, and data about daily live-weight gain, carcass and meat quality were collected. Allelic frequencies were 0.69 for the G-allele (298Asp variant or well-conserved variant) and 0.31 for the A-allele (298Asn variant or the mutated variant). Barrows and gilts were almost equally distributed in this population with, respectively, 49.9% and 50.1%. Moreover, independent of this mutation, the relationship between average daily gain (ADG) and carcass on the one hand and meat quality traits on the other hand was evaluated in this population. A significant positive influence of the MC4R mutation on ADG (P < 0.001) was found, accompanied by a higher fat thickness (P < 0.05) and a lower carcass lean meat content (P < 0.01), whereas muscle thickness and carcass conformation traits were not affected. The effects on meat quality traits were not significant, except for a lower shear force (P = 0.054) and a higher intramuscular fat content (P = 0.052) in AA animals. In the longissimus, pH and pork quality meter (PQM) values were not influenced, and effects on drip loss and colour were not apparent. Residual correlation coefficients between ADG and carcass lean meat content on the one hand and meat quality traits on the other hand were generally very low (|r|>0.1). Higher ADG, higher carcass fat thickness and lower carcass lean meat content were correlated with slightly lower shear force values (|r|～0.1, P < 0.05). In conclusion, in the studied population, the Asp298Asn mutation in the MC4R gene was associated with improved daily gain, higher carcass fatness and almost no effect on meat quality traits.     

Association of PPARγ2 polymorphisms with carcass and meat quality traits in a Pietrain x Jinhua F2 population

The PPARγ2 gene is a key regulator of both proliferation and preadipocyte differentiation in mammals. Herein its genotype and allele frequencies were analyzed using PCR-SSCP in eight pig breeds (N = 416). Two kinds of polymorphisms of the PPARγ2 gene were detected, including a previously reported shift SNP A177G (Met59Val) in exon 1 and a novel silent mutation G876A in exon 5. The results revealed that European pig breeds carry a higher allele A frequency at the A177G locus and a fixed GG genotype at the G876A locus. Allele A at the G876A locus was only found in Jinhua pigs. The association between haplotype (A177G/G876A) and carcass and meat quality traits was analyzed in a Pietrain x Jinhua F2 population (N = 248). The PPARγ2 gene was found to be significantly associated with backfat thickness at the shoulder (p < 0.05), 6-7(th) ribs (p < 0.01), last rib (p < 0.01), gluteus medius (p <0.05) and ham weight (p < 0.01). Significant effects of different haplotypes on ham weight and backfat thickness at the 6-7(th) ribs, last rib, and gluteus medius were also observed.     

猪背最长肌中肌肉生长和脂肪沉积相关基因的差异表达和主成分分析

骨骼肌细胞和脂肪细胞在分化生长速度上相对竞争的平衡点是猪肉质和胴体性状的决定因素.利用Oligo功能分类芯片检测了瘦肉型的长白猪和脂肪型的太湖猪在初生、1、2、3、4和5月龄间背最长肌中肌肉生长和脂肪沉积相关基因的动态表达变化.差异表达分析结果显示,在初生至5月龄的品种间分别有15、16、11、13、18和20个基因的表达差异倍数大于2倍.品种内的方差分析表明,长白猪分别有18和22个基因,太湖猪分别有3和7个基因在月龄间的表达差异达极显著(Ｐ<0.01)和显著水平(Ｐ<0.05).主成分分析结果显示,先降后升是两品种内最具代表性的基因表达模式,且长白猪和太湖猪分别有7和6个基因的表达模式明显偏离其他基因,提示其可能受到了重要的调控. 此外,5个差异表达基因的荧光定量RT-PCR验证结果均与芯片结果呈正相关趋势.以上结果筛选出了对于猪肉质和胴体性状可能具有重要影响,值得深入研究的一些候选基因,为深入研究生长发育过程中参与肌纤维生长和脂肪酸合成关键基因的表达变化规律和互作调控机制提供了基础数据.     

Myf-6基因在不同猪种中的PCR-RFLP遗传多态性及其遗传效应分析

作为生肌调节因子家族的一个成员,Myf-6基因在肌形成的过程中发挥着重要的作用。实验采用PCR-RFLP技术分析了Myf-6基因在12个中外猪种及部分杂交群体中的分布情况,并分析了Myf-6基因对肌纤维、胴体品质、胴体等级性状和肉质性状的遗传效应。结果表明：Myf-6基因内含子1内的Ava I酶切位点多态性不丰富,多数中国地方猪种群体中A等位基因已经完全固定,B等位基因仅以较低的频率存在于外种猪或含外种猪血缘的杂交群体中。尽管没有检测到BB纯合个体,但AB杂合子的平均瘦肉率为50.344 %,极显著地高于AA纯合子的45.875 %(P<0.01)。AB杂合子的眼肌面积为27.097 cm2,极显著地大于AA纯合子的22.572 cm2(P<0.01)。AB杂合子的皮脂率（39.889 %）极显著地低于AA纯合子（44.503 %）(P<0.01)。上述结果说明本次试验群体中的B等位基因具有增加胴体瘦肉率和眼肌面积,降低胴体脂肪含量从而改善胴体品质的遗传效应。此外,Myf-6基因对肌纤维生长性状、FOM肉脂仪测定的胴体等级性状以及肉质性状等都没有显著影响(P>0.05)。