Transcript level of the porcine ME1 gene is affected by SNP in its 3'UTR, which is also associated with subcutaneous fat thickness

Pork quality depends on multiple factors, including fatty acid composition in muscle and fat tissues. The ME1 gene is a strong candidate for fat accumulation, as it encodes the malic enzyme, which is required for fatty acid synthesis. We identified seven new polymorphisms in 3'UTR of the ME1 gene and moreover confirmed the presence of 4 polymorphisms detected previously. Interestingly, the studied Duroc pigs were monomorphic at all these polymorphic sites, while in 3 other breeds (Pietrain, Polish Landrace and Polish Large White), the polymorphisms were unevenly distributed. One of the novel SNPs (c.*488A>G) was found in the Polish Large White and the Polish Landrace only, and the association studies revealed that it was significantly associated with backfat thickness and average daily weight gain in the Polish Landrace (N = 207) and the Polish Large White (N = 157). This SNP was differently associated with ME1 transcript level in muscle and backfat. The in silico analysis of another novel SNP (c.*548C>T) indicated that it is located within a binding sequence conserved among vertebrates for the miR-30 family in 3'UTR of the ME1. It was shown that in the longissimus muscle, but not in adipose tissue, CT gilts compared with CC ones had significantly lower levels of the ME1 transcript. This polymorphism, however, was not associated with production traits. Additionally, we observed that transcript level of the ME1 was significantly higher in subcutaneous fat than in the longissimus muscle, as well as both investigated tissues of the Polish Landrace when compared to the other breeds. However, no association was found between this polymorphism and fatty acid profiles. We conclude that the ME1 gene polymorphism (c.*488A>G) is a potential marker for porcine backfat thickness.