Association analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the LEP and SCDI genes on the fatty acid profile of muscle fat in Simmental bulls

摘要

The aim was to investigate the effect of the genetic polymorphisms of leptin {LEP) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCDI) genes on the fatty acid (FA) composition of the muscle of 103 Simmental bulls. Ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were detected in exons 2 and 3 of the LEP gene, two of them encoding non-synonymous mutations. Allelic substitution effects of all the SNP on 28 single fatty acids, monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) and desaturation indexes were estimated. Both the SCDI SNP, as well as three SNP of the leptin gene, affected, to different extents, the desaturation of FA into MUFA. Because it was previously proposed that leptin's metabolic action involves down-regulation of SCDI, it is possible that, beyond the mere additive effect of SCDI gene on FA desaturation, the non-synonymous mutations in the leptin gene also contribute to the variability of FA composition in muscle fat