Investigation of the gene expression pattern and association analysis of its polymorphisms with meat quality traits in chickens.

Meat quality is closely related to the fat deposition which is regulated by a cascade of transcription factors. As a transcription factor, the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (CEBPA) is considered as one of the key molecules regulating adipogenesis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to detect the expression pattern of the gene and evaluate whether its single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with the meat quality traits in Wuliang Mountain Black-bone (WLMB) chickens. The results showed that the chicken mRNA was widely expressed in the 11 tissues, and the expression pattern of it might be tissue- and time-specific different. The locus of g.74C > G was not significantly associated with chicken meat quality. For the locus of g.552G > A, chickens with the GG genotype showed higher pH ( < 0.01), lower drip loss ( < 0.01) and higher intramuscular fat ( < 0.05) than those with other genotypes. It suggested that polymorphisms of the gene were significantly associated with the meat quality traits of WLMB chickens. The results of this study contribute to the functional research of the gene and lay the foundation for improving meat quality based on the marker-assisted selection in chickens.