Association of single nucleotide polymorphism of chicken uncoupling protein gene with muscle and fatness traits

Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are in the mitochondrial inner membrane and belong to the transporter family. The biological function of UCPs is regulating discharge of proton gradient generated by the respiratory chain. As a result, the production of ATP is diminished, and dissipative heat is yielded. The present study was designed to investigate the association of UCP gene with chicken growth and body composition traits. The ninth generation of the broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat was used as a research population. Primers for UCP gene were designed from chicken genomic sequence. A single-nucleotide polymorphism, in the exon3 (T1316C) of UCP gene was detected by the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The UCP polymorphism was associated with muscle and fatness traits, such as pectoralis minor weight and abdominal fat weight. The results indicated that UCP gene could be a candidate locus or linked to a major gene which affects muscle and fatness traits in chicken.