Association, expression, and pathway analysis of biglycan gene with lamb quality and retail cut carcass

The quality of lamb meat and retail cut carcass traits are crucial determinants of meat quality, influencing consumer preference and high-quality lamb meat. The biglycan (BGN) gene, which regulates the formation and maintenance of connective tissues, including bone and cartilage, plays a crucial role in providing structural support strength and facilitating tissue healing and regeneration. This study examined the identification of polymorphism of the BGN gene in Indonesian sheep and its association, expression, and pathway analysis with lamb quality and retail cut carcass traits. Samples were collected from the longissimus dorsi muscle of 100 male animals (JTTS, BCS, CAS, GS, and JS), aged between 10 and 12 months, and analyzed for polymorphisms of the BGN gene using PCR-RFLP methods. The data were analyzed using the General Linear Model (GLM) test to investigate the association between genotype and phenotype characteristics. The expression levels of BGN mRNA were estimated using qRT-PCR, pathway, and network analysis using KEGG PATHWAY analysis. The BGN gene was polymorphic in different Indonesian sheep breeds. The BGN gene (g.77807325 G>C) exhibited two genotypes, GG and CC. The BGN polymorphism was significantly associated with (P<0.05) lamb quality characteristics, such as pH value and retail cut carcass traits, including leg, muscle in the leg, muscle in the rack, shank, and muscle in the shank. The GG genotype demonstrated superior values for these traits compared to the CC genotype. The analysis of the BGN gene expression showed no significant difference (P>0.05) between the GG and CC genotypes. The pathway analysis showed that the BGN gene is part of the small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRP) family, which plays a role in the muscle cell cytoskeleton that affects the meat quality and retail cut carcass. Sheep with the GG genotype showed improved values for several desirable traits. Thus, the G>C SNP of the BGN gene holds promise as a genetic marker for selection to improve the lamb meat quality and retail cut carcass of Indonesian sheep.