Identification of differentially expressed genes and polymorphisms related to intramuscular oleic‐to‐stearic fatty acid ratio in pigs

The intramuscular oleic-to-stearic fatty acid ratio (C18:1n-9/C18:0) is an important indicator of the biosynthesis and desaturation of fatty acids in muscle. By using an RNA-Seq approach in muscle samples from 32 BC1_DU (25% Iberian and 75% Duroc) pigs with divergent values (high: H and low: L) of C18:1n-9/C18:0 fatty acids ratio, a total of 81 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Functional analyses of DEGs indicate that mainly peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway (associated genes: PPARG, SCD, PLIN1, and FABP3) was overrepresented. Notably, SCD is directly involved in the conversion of C18:0 to C18:1n-9, and PPARG is a transcription factor regulating lipid metabolism genes, including SCD. However, other DEGs (e.g., ACADVL, FADS3, EPHB2, HGFAC, NGFR, NR0B2, MDH1, MMAA, PPP1R1B, SFRP5, RAB30, and TRARG1) are plausible candidate genes to explain the phenotypic differences of the C18:1n-9/C18:0 ratio. Interestingly, seven genetic variants within the SCD (including the well-known AY487830:g.2228T>C SNP and other novel genotyped polymorphisms) are associated with two haplotypes. Although the haplotypes are segregating at different frequencies in the H and L groups, they do not fully explain the desaturation ratios or the SCD expression levels. A more complex model, including polyunsaturated fatty acids such as C18:2n-6, C20:4n-6, and C18:3n-3, is suggested to explain the regulation of the C18:1n-9/C18:0 desaturation ratio in porcine muscle.