A study of associations of the H-FABP genotypes with fat and meat production of pigs.

Although the content of intramuscular fat (IMF) influences significantly meat quality, it can be estimated only after the slaughter of animals. Variants of the H-FABP gene were suggested as candidate genes influencing the variability of IMF. The effect of H-FABP - HinfI polymorphism on the content of IMF, backfat thickness, the weight and percentages of major meat parts and of the leg in carcass weight was studied in a group of 97 pigs (46 gilts and 51 barrows) of Large White and Landrace breeds using the test of fattening capacity and carcass value. In the set of experimental animals, the frequencies of genes were H = 0.75 +/- 0.03 and h = 0.25 +/- 0.03. Biometric analyses did not corroborate differences among different H-FABP - HinfI genotypes and all the traits under study. Only in genotypes HH and Hh the differences between least-square means of phenotypic IMF values under study were close to the limit of significance (P = 0.06).