ASCL2 Gene Expression Analysis and Its Association with Carcass Traits in Pigs

Cheng, H. C.; Zhang, F. W.; Deng, C. Y.; Jiang, C. D.; Xiong, Y. Z.; Li, F. E.; Lei, M. G.

doi:2007.20.10.1485

Article

Animal Breeding and Genetics

Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 2007;20(10): 1485-1489.
https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.2007.1485 Published online August 30, 2007.

ASCL2 Gene Expression Analysis and Its Association with Carcass Traits in Pigs

H. C. Cheng, F. W. Zhang, C. Y. Deng, C. D. Jiang, Y. Z. Xiong, F. E. Li, M. G. Lei

Abstract

Achaete-scute like 2 (ASCL2) gene encodes a member of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor which is essential for the maintenance of proliferating trophoblasts during placental development. ASCL2 gene preferentially expresses the maternal allele in the mouse. However, it escapes genomic imprinting in the human. In this study, the complete open reading frame consisting of 193 amino acids of ASCL2 gene was obtained. Sequence analysis indicated that a C-G mutation existed in the 3??untranslated region between Meishan and Large White pigs. The polymorphism was used to determine the monoallelic or biallelic expression with RT-PCR-RFLP in pigs of Large White??Meishan F1 hybrids. Imprinting analysis indicated that the ASCL2 gene expression was biallelic in all the tested tissues (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, small intestine, skeletal muscle, fat, uterus, ovary and pituitary). PCR-RFLP was used to detect the polymorphism in 270 pigs of the ??Large White??Meishan??F2 resource population. The statistical results showed highly significant associations of the genotypes and fat meat percentage (FMP), lean meat percentage (LMP) and ratio of lean to fat (RLF) (p<0.01), and significant associations of the genotypes and loin eye area (LEA) and internal fat rate (IFR) (p<0.05).

Keywords: ASCL2; Imprinting; Porcine; Carcass Traits; Polymorphism