Associations of FABP3 genotypes with Pork Belly Traits in pigs

Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3 (FABP3) is important for the transport and metabolism of intracellular fatty acids, and the genetic variants of FABP3 gene have been known to affect fat accumulation in pigs. Here, we aimed to investigate FABP3 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) focusing on the pork belly characteristics in pigs, which are highly preferred in South Korea. A total of 257 pigs consisting of Landrace (n=126) and Yorkshire (n=131) were genotyped by the PCR-RFLP method and the general linear model was used in the association analysis. The alleles were similarly distributed in Landrace population, but C allele was predominantly presented in Yorkshire population. In the association analysis in both Landrace and Yorkshire pigs, significant differences were observed between genotypes for Cross-sectional belly characteristics and the specific belly muscle area in slices (p<0.05). These results provide preliminary evidence for a potential use as a biomarker for pork belly traits.