Correlation of the A-FABP Gene Polymorphism and mRNA Expression with Intramuscular Fat Content in Three-Yellow Chicken and Hetian-Black Chicken

Abstract

The adipocyte-type fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) is considered a candidate gene for fat metabolism; thus, it affects fat deposition in chickens. The present study was designed to examine the polymorphism and mRNA abundance of the A-FABP gene with intramuscular fat (IMF) in the pectoralis muscles (PM) and leg muscles (LM) of Three-yellow Chicken (TYC) and Hetian-black Chicken (HTBC). In total, 60 TYCs and 60 HTBCs were sacrificed using exsanguination at market age. The IMF contents of the PM and LM in the HTBC were significantly higher than those in the TYC. Three genotypes of the A-FABP gene first exon, AA, AB, and BB, were examined by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP), and a C51 T mutational site, which is a silent substitution mutation, was revealed. The IMF contents of the AA genotype in the PM of the HTBC were significantly higher than those in the AB genotype; thus, the C51 T mutable site is a gene marker for selecting a higher IMF content in the PM of the HTBC. The relative expression of the A-FABP mRNA in the LM of the HTBC, which was measured by quantitative real-time PCR, was significantly higher than in the TYC. A significantly positive association was detected between A-FABP expression with the IMF contents of the PM and LM of both the TYC and the HTBC. These results provide basic data that might be helpful to further research the role of the A-FABP gene in fat deposition and fatty acid metabolism in chickens.

Effect of Divergent Selection for Intramuscular Fat Content on Muscle Lipid Metabolism in Chickens

“…Meat quality plays an essential role in consumer acceptance, and intramuscular fat (IMF), deposited within the muscle tissue, is a widely acknowledged indicator of meat quality [1]. Numerous studies have explored the molecular mechanisms behind differential IMF deposition using different chicken breeds with typically different IMF contents [2][3][4]; however, the different genetic backgrounds of the chickens used makes explaining the inconsistent results of these studies difficult. As they have the same genetic origin, IMF-divergent selection lines are considered a good model for studying the molecular mechanisms behind IMF deposition.…”

Comparison of liver transcriptome from high- and low-intramuscular fat Chaohu ducks provided additional candidate genes for lipid selection

“…The mRNA expression levels of ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 genes in the thigh muscle of male Tibetan chickens are significantly positively correlated with IMF (Zhang et al 2017). The expression of A-FABP gene is also positively associated with IMF content in chickens (Wang et al 2017).…”

The g.4290 C>G Polymorphism in the FADS2 Gene Modifies the Fatty Acid Profile of the Pectoralis Superficialis Muscle of Ross 308 Broiler Chickens

“…The authors identified the p.Ser89Asn polymorphism in exon 3 of the FABP4 gene and found that abdominal fat content at 12 weeks of age was lower in the Baier race (0.89%) than in the broiler line (3.74%). The effect of C51T substitution in exon 1 of the FABP4 gene on the content of intramuscular fat in the pectoral muscles of the Hetian black and three-yellow chicken breeds was demonstrated [ 32 , 33 ].…”