Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Exon 3 of Porcine LMCD1 Gene with Meat Quality and Carcass Traits

LIM domain proteins are found to be important regulators in cell growth, cell fate determination, cell differentiation, and remodelling of the cell cytoskeleton by their interaction with some structural proteins, kinases, transcriptional regulators, etc. The presence of LIM domains in LMCD1 gene implies it may be involved in skeletal muscle protein-protein interactions. This study was to investigate polymorphisms of LIM and cysteine-rich domain 1 (LMCD1) gene and its effect on meat quality and carcass traits in pig. The polymorphism (G294A) in exon 3 region of porcine LMCD1 gene, which is synonymous mutation, was genotyped in the population of 178 F2 pigs of a Large White x Meishan resource family. Statistical results indicated the distribution of allele G (with a A → G mutation) and A (without mutation). Analysis of variance showed that the polymorphism of LMCD1 gene was associated with variation in several carcass traits of interest for pig breeding. Some carcass traits and meat quality traits are close to significance by association. An analysis of more animals is necessary to analyze the polymorphisms in exon 3 of porcine LMCD1 gene if it was selected as a marker for the pig carcass traits.