Genetic correlations of intramuscular fat content and fatty acid composition among muscles and with subcutaneous fat in Duroc pigs

There is an increasing interest in including intramuscular fat (IMF) content and fatty acid composition, particularly oleic acid (C18:1) content, in the selection objectives of pig lines for quality pork markets. These traits are costly and can be measured in more than 1 location, so knowing their correlation structure across muscles and with subcutaneous fat (SF) is necessary for developing optimum sampling and recording schemes. We analyzed the genetic and phenotypic correlations of IMF content and composition among 3 of the most relevant muscles (LM, gluteus medius muscle [GM], and semimembranosus muscle [SM]) and with the fatty acid composition of SF. All genetic correlations were positive but variable. For IMF, the genetic correlation between GM and LM was 0.68, and for fatty acids, the genetic correlation ranged from 0.62 for C18:1 to 0.82 for total PUFA. Genetic correlations of GM and LM with SM were much lower: 0.13 to 0.19 for IMF and 0.10 to 0.54 for fatty acids. Correlations for fatty acid composition in SF with GM and LM were moderate to high (0.29-0.53 and 0.43-0.75, respectively) but were null with SM. The expected responses for IMF in the 3 muscles and for C18:1 in each muscle and in SF to selection on records taken from only a single muscle or SF were estimated. Selection for IMF and C18:1 in GM is expected to lead to positive responses in IMF and C18:1 in LM and vice versa, although this can entail genetic lags of 20 to 45% in the muscle not directly selected for. Selection for C18:1 in SF is more effective for C18:1 in LM than in GM and of very limited value for IMF. In conclusion, the genetic correlations of IMF content and fatty acid composition among muscles and with SF, although positive, are variable enough to influence the genetic evaluation scheme for IMF and fat quality. They also indicate that GM and LM can be used alternatively for selection purposes.