Journal of Animal Science, Vol 78, Issue 7 1811-1815, Copyright © 2000 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Frequency of the Rendement Napole RN- allele in a population of American Hampshire pigs

K. D. Miller, M. Ellis, F. K. McKeith, B. S. Bidner and D. J. Meisinger
Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801, USA.

A total of 204 purebred Hampshire pigs were obtained from 23 breeders. These animals were the progeny of 41 sires and 123 dams. A sample of purebred Yorkshire (n = 24) pigs were also used in the study. Animals were classified by glycolytic potential determined on a live-animal longissimus muscle biopsy sample. Hampshire pigs (n = 176) with glycolytic potential greater than 185 micromol/g (x = 238.8 micromol/g; SD = 29.54) were classified as heterozygous or homozygous for the dominant RN- allele (RN-rn+ or RN-RN-, respectively), whereas cohorts (n = 28) with glycolytic potential less than 185 micromol/g (x = 141.3 micromol/g; SD = 24.48) were considered as homozygous normal (rn+rn+). All Yorkshire pigs (n = 24) had a mean glycolytic potential level of 146.1 micromol/g (SD = 20.18) and were considered as homozygous normal (rn+rn+). The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium yielded frequencies of .630 and .370 for the dominant RN- allele and normal rn+ alleles in the Hampshire population, respectively, and genotypic frequencies of .397 (RN-RN-), .466 (RN-rn+), and .137 (rn+rn+). Hampshires with glycolytic potential > or = 185 micromol/g had significantly lower longissimus muscle ultimate pH, intramuscular fat, subjective marbling scores, and percentage of protein (P < .001) and had greater longissimus muscle percentage of moisture (P < .001), drip loss (P < .01), and cooking loss (P < .001) than rn+rn+ Hampshires and Yorkshires. These data suggest the RN- allele exists at a high frequency within the American Hampshire breed. Higher glycolytic potential levels, which accompany the allele, may cause decreased meat quality.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. C. Carr, J. B. Morgan, E. P. Berg, S. D. Carter, and F. K. Ray Growth performance, carcass composition, quality, and enhancement treatment of fresh pork identified through deoxyribonucleic acid marker-assisted selection for the Rendement Napole gene J Anim Sci, April 1, 2006; 84(4): 910 - 917. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Q. W. Shen, C. S. Jones, N. Kalchayanand, M. J. Zhu, and M. Du Effect of dietary {alpha}-lipoic acid on growth, body composition, muscle pH, and AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in mice J Anim Sci, November 1, 2005; 83(11): 2611 - 2617. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. W. Newcom, K. J. Stalder, T. J. Baas, R. N. Goodwin, F. C. Parrish, and B. R. Wiegand Breed differences and genetic parameters of myoglobin concentration in porcine longissimus muscle J Anim Sci, August 1, 2004; 82(8): 2264 - 2268. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Hambrecht, J. J. Eissen, R. I. J. Nooijen, B. J. Ducro, C. H. M. Smits, L. A. den Hartog, and M. W. A. Verstegen Preslaughter stress and muscle energy largely determine pork quality at two commercial processing plants J Anim Sci, May 1, 2004; 82(5): 1401 - 1409. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. N. Hamilton, K. D. Miller, M. Ellis, F. K. McKeith, and E. R. Wilson Relationships between longissimus glycolytic potential and swine growth performance, carcass traits, and pork quality J Anim Sci, September 1, 2003; 81(9): 2206 - 2212. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]