A mutation in PHKG1 causes high drip loss and low meat quality in Chinese Ningdu yellow chickens

Abstract

With increasing societal development and the concurrent improvement in people's quality of life, meat consumption has gradually changed from a focus on “quantity” to “quality”. Broiler production is increasingly used as a means to improve meat quality by altering various characteristics, especially its genetic factors. However, until now, little has been known about the genetic variants related to meat quality traits in Chinese purebred chicken populations. To better understand these genetic underpinnings, a total of 17 traits related to meat quality and carcass were measured in 325 Chinese Ningdu yellow chickens. We performed DNA sequencing to detect nucleotide mutations, after which we conducted association studies between PHKG1 gene polymorphisms and traits related to meat quality and carcass. Results indicated a large phenotypic variation in meat quality traits. More specifically, the single nucleotide polymorphism ( SNP ) rs15845448 was significantly associated with drip loss at 24 h ( P = 8.04 × 10 −6 ) and 48 h ( P = 5.47 × 10 −6 ), pH ( P = 2.39 × 10 −3 ), and meat color L * ( P = 9.88 × 10 −3 ). Moreover, the SNP rs15845448 reduced 24 h and 48 h drip loss by 3.62 and 5.97%, respectively. However, no significant associations were found between rs15845448 and carcass traits ( P > 0.05). Furthermore, a haplotype block containing 2 adjacent SNPs ( rs15845448 and rs15845450 ) was identified. This block displayed 4 distinct haplotypes that had significant association with drip loss at 24 h and 48 h, pH, and meat color L *. Collectively, these results provide new insights into the genetic basis of meat quality in Chinese Ningdu yellow chickens. Moreover, the significance of SNP rs15845448 could be incorporated into the selection programs involving this breed.

Characteristics and potential biomarkers of flavor compounds in four Chinese indigenous chicken breeds

“…In contrast, the coefficients of variation for pH and moisture content were relatively small (<2%) for all breeds. The coefficients of variation obtained here were similar to those reported in our previous large-scale study on Ningdu yellow chickens ( 9 ), which may be due to the fact that the causative genes and mutations were controlled ColorM_a and IMF in Ningdu yellow chickens.…”

“…Furthermore, six meat quality traits were measured, including pH, L * for lightness (ColorM_L), a* for redness (ColorM_a), b* for yellowness (ColorM_b), moisture content, and intramuscular fat (IMF). The methods used to measure pH, ColorM_L, ColorM_a, and ColorM_b were described in our previous study ( 9 ). Each sample was measured thrice by the same researcher.…”

Effect of pre-slaughter fasting time on carcass yield, blood parameters and meat quality in broilers

“…Each sample was measured 3 times and its average value were taken for statistics. The drip loss percentage was determined during 24 h of storing the meat samples (weighing approximately 100 g) according to Xiong et al [ 19 ]. During that time, the samples were placed in plastic bags and kept at 4°C for 24 h. The cooking loss of meat was determined based on weight method according to Przybylski et al [ 20 ].…”

RNA Sequencing of the Pituitary Gland and Association Analyses Reveal PRKG2 as a Candidate Gene for Growth and Carcass Traits in Chinese Ningdu Yellow Chickens

“…Ningdu yellow chicken is a local Chinese breed and has enjoyed a positive culinary reputation for a long time ( 13 ). In this study, to identify the genes related to growth and carcass traits, a differential expression analysis was performed on pituitary glands harvested from Chinese Ningdu yellow chickens with either a high live weight and carcass weight (H group) or a low live weight and carcass weight (L group) using RNA-seq.…”