Antizyme 1 Gene is Associated with Loin Muscle Area and Marbling in Landrace × Lantang F2 Resource Population

The expression level of antizyme 1 (AZ1) gene in Longissimus dorsi muscle of Landrace pigs is significantly higher than that of Lantang pigs based on our previous studies. The AZ1 is a key regulator of the concentration of polyamines in cells. It is a good candidate gene for pig's performance because polyamines regulate the growth and development of cells. Four PCR-RFLPs were selected to study the relation between AZ1 genotypes and porcine performance. Results showed that the loci of −713 C/T, −584 A/C, and +2 432 G/A had significant or highly significant opposite effects on loin muscle area and marbling.