Effect of UBE3C polymorphisms on intramuscular fat content and fatty acid composition in Duroc pigs

Ubiquitin protein ligase E3C (UBE3C) is involved in the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, and several ubiquitin protein ligases are important for fat deposition and lipid metabolism. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the UBE3C gene with intramuscular fat (IMF) content and fatty acid (FA) composition in Duroc pigs. Four SNP markers (g. 1586399A>G, g. 1591358G>A, g. 1600132G>C, and g. 1600166G>A) of porcine UBE3C were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method, and their associations with IMF content and FA composition were investigated in a commercial Duroc pig population. Two SNP markers ( g.1586399A>G and g.1591358G>A) were segregated among the pigs. No UBE3C polymorphisms at g.1600132G>C or g.1600166G>A were observed. The UBE3C g.1586399A>G SNP was significantly associated with IMF content, while the UBE3C g.1591358G>A SNP was associated with palmitic, stearic, eicosenoic, and eicosadienoic acid levels, and saturated FA levels. These results suggest that polymorphisms in porcine UBE3C are correlated with IMF content and FA composition, and confirm the importance of porcine UBE3C as a candidate gene for fat deposition in pigs.