The porcine fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene is associated with fat deposition in Italian Duroc pigs

In humans, common variants in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene are associated with body mass index and obesity. Here we sequenced exon 4, parts of introns 3 and 4 and two portions of the 3'-untranslated region of the porcine FTO gene in a panel of nine pigs of different breeds and identified three SNPs. Allele frequencies of the g. 276T>G (AM931150) mutation were studied in seven pig breeds. This mutation was used to linkage-map FTO to SSC6. Association analyses between the g. 276T>G polymorphism and several traits [pH of semimembranosus muscle and estimated breeding values (EBV) for average daily gain, back fat thickness, lean cuts, ham weight and feed: gain ratio] were carried out in 257 sib-tested Italian Large White pigs. Only feed: gain ratio showed P < 0.05. A selective genotyping approach was applied, analysing two extreme and divergent groups of Italian Large White pigs selected on the basis of back fat thickness EBV (50 with most positive and 50 with most negative values). Fisher's exact test (two-tailed) was not significant when comparing the allele frequencies of these two groups. The same approach was used in the Italian Duroc breed for which two extreme and divergent groups of animals were selected according to visible intermuscular fat EBV. Differences of allele frequencies between these two groups were highly significant (P < 0.00001, P < 0.001 and P < 0.0001, considering all animals or only two- or three-generation unrelated animals respectively), indicating association between the analysed FTO marker and intermuscular fat deposition.