A Mutation in PRKAG3 Associated with Excess Glycogen Content in Pig Skeletal Muscle

A high proportion of purebred Hampshire pigs carries the dominant RN − mutation, which causes high glycogen content in skeletal muscle. The mutation has beneficial effects on meat content but detrimental effects on processing yield. Here, it is shown that the mutation is a nonconservative substitution (R200Q) in the PRKAG3 gene, which encodes a muscle-specific isoform of the regulatory γ subunit of adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase (AMPK). Loss-of-function mutations in the homologous gene in yeast ( SNF4 ) cause defects in glucose metabolism, including glycogen storage. Further analysis of the PRKAG3 signaling pathway may provide insights into muscle physiology as well as the pathogenesis of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in humans, a metabolic disorder associated with impaired glycogen synthesis.