Polymorphism of MyoG Gene in Sheep and Its Association with Meat Quality Traits

Background: At present, our mutton production cannot keep up with the needs of consumers. This study aims to analyze the polymorphism of intron II in the MyoG gene of sheep and investigate its relationship with production traits. It hopes to provide some theoretical research on the supply of mutton in China to serve the production of mutton. Methods: Five breeds of sheep, including Small-tailed Han sheep, Large-tailed Han sheep, Yuxi fat-tailed sheep, Mongolian sheep and Lanzhou Large-tailed sheep, were selected as the subjects. The Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique was used to genotype the intron II of the MyoG gene. Meat samples were collected from the back of the sheep to determine drip loss, shear force, moisture content, cooking loss and colour. The genetic diversity of the MyoG intron II in the sheep population was calculated using Popgene software and the association between different genotypes and sheep growth traits was analyzed using SPSS 17.0 software. Result: The results showed that both Small-tailed Han sheep and Lanzhou Large-tailed sheep had three genotypes in the MyoG intron II: AA (368, 540 bp), AB (908, 368, 540 bp) and BB (908 bp). Large-tailed Han sheep, Yuxi fat-tailed sheep and Mongolian sheep had two genotypes in the MyoG intron II: AB (908, 368, 540 bp) and BB (908 bp). The association analysis showed that individuals with the AA and BB genotypes had significantly higher moisture content in their meat than individuals with the AB genotype (p less than 0.05). The cooking loss in the meat of individuals with the AB and BB genotypes was significantly higher than that of individuals with the AA genotype (p less than 0.05). The colour of the meat in individuals with the AA genotype and AB genotype was significantly higher than that in individuals with the BB genotype (p less than 0.05). In conclusion, the polymorphism studied provides valuable information for improving the production performance of sheep.