Authors : Ling Sun, Xinjie Dong, Bin Fan and Bang Liu
Abstract: The Muscle Ankyrin Repeat Proteins (MARPs) family is essential for cardiogenesis and Cardiac hypertrophy (CARP), skeletal muscular stretch and development (ANKRD2/ARPP) and during recovery following starvation (DARP). Here we describe the isolation and molecular characterization of the full-length cDNA of porcine gene ANKRD2 (ankyrin repeated domain 2). The cDNA sequence and predicted protein sequence shared high sequence identity with other mammalian counterparts. The Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that ANKRD2 has a high level of expression in skeletal muscle and a low expression in heart while the other tissues being tested had no expression. The expression of ANKRD2 gene was up-regulated accompanying with the different embryo developmental stages (embryo 33, 65, 90 days; postnatal 2 days, adult) and reached the peak at the adult time. A T/C single nucleotide polymorphism in ANKRD2 exon5 was detected and a HaeIII PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was then developed. Association of the genotypes with growth and carcass traits revealed significant associations of the porcine ANKRD2 loin depth (p<0.05) and firmness (p<0.05).
Ling Sun, Xinjie Dong, Bin Fan and Bang Liu, 2011. The Association of ANKRD2 with Loin Depth and Muscle Firmness in Pigs. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 10: 1462-1468.