Transcriptional analysis of the porcine TTID gene and association of different TTID genotypes with carcass traits

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The titin immunoglobulin domain (TTID) protein localizes to the Z line in muscle and binds to alpha-actinin and gamma-filamin. It plays an indispensable role in stabilizing and anchoring of thin filaments. In this study, the 5'-regulatory region of the porcine TTID gene was analyzed with bioinformatic methods. Another objective of this study was to further investigate the polymorphism in the intron 6 of the porcine TTID gene. We determined allele frequency among six Chinese porcine purebreds. The polymorphisms were genotyped in a population of 280 F 2 pigs representing two Large White x Meishan reference families. Different TTID genotypes were significantly associated with carcass traits, including skin percentage (P < 0.05), loin eye area (P < 0.05), and average skin thickness (P < 0.01). Our study will continue to lay the groundwork for further investigations into the detailed function of the porcine TTID gene.