Association of Polymorphisms in the Calpain I Gene with Meat Quality Traits in Yanbian Yellow Cattle of China

The calpain I (CAPN I) gene is an important marker for meat tenderness and marbling score in the bovine, but there were no studies to determine whether the CAPN1 gene had an association with other meat quality traits. In this study, we examined the relation between genetic polymorphisms of the CAPN I gene and some meat quality traits in Yanbian Yellow Cattle of China. By PCR-SSCP and gene sequencing in 321 unrelated Yanbian yellow cattle, twenty seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in CAPN1, two existed SNPs in exon 8 and exon 17 resulted in the change of AA at F311S and M599V, respectively, and the other polymorphisms were at intron 7, 8, 14, 16 and 17. There were different preponderant genotypes at the corresponding gene locus and all genotypes were not associated with tenderness but other meat traits. This is the first study of the relationship between CAPN1 and meat quality besides tenderness in Yanbian yellow cattle of China. (Key Words : Yanbian Yellow Cattle, CAPNI, Meat Quality, SNPs)