A second mutant allele (V199I) at the PRKAG3 (RN) locus- I. Effect on technological meat quality of pork loin.

The effect of three alleles (RN(-), rn(+) and a second mutant allele V199I, denoted rn*) at the PRKAG3 (RN) locus on such meat quality traits as pH, internal reflectance (FOP), Warner-Bratzler shear force, water-holding capacity and cooking loss were studied. M. longissimus dorsi (LD) from a total of 334 crossbreed pigs, entire males and females, Hampshire (H) and Finnish Landrace (L) of three combinations H × LH, LH × H and LH × LH, were used. The PRKAG3 alleles were identified with a DNA test and all possible RN genotypes, RN(-)/RN(-) (23%), RN(-)/rn(+) (24%), RN(-)/rn* (33%), rn(+)/rn(+) (8%), rn(+)/rn* (9%) and rn*/rn* (2%), were found. Water, intramuscular fat, protein and glycogen contents were determined. All the three alleles at the RN locus affected the studied technological meat quality traits of pork loin, except for the internal reflectance 24 h post mortem and the shear force. The RN(-) allele was dominant over the other two alleles, rn(+) and rn*, in LD with regard to ultimate pH, water-holding capacity and cooking loss, giving lower ultimate pH and water-holding capacity and higher cooking loss. The rn* allele affected ultimate pH in LD of non-carriers of the RN(-) allele, giving higher ultimate pH. The RN(-) allele was also dominant over the other two alleles in residual glycogen content in entire male pigs, but not in female pigs, where the rn* allele had a glycogen-lowering effect. The water content was higher and the protein content lower in LD of all RN(-)/- animals compared with the other genotypes, while no significant differences were found with regard to IMF content. Water-holding capacity, cooking loss and shear force were higher in LD of entire males compared with females.