Association of A-FABP gene polymorphism and mRNA expression with intramuscular fat content (IMF) in Baicheng-You chicken

This study aims to assess the association of polymorphisms and mRNA expression of adipocyte-type fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) with intramuscular fat (IMF) in the breast muscle (BM) and leg muscle (LM) of Baicheng-You chickens (BYCs). A total of 180 chickens, including sixty black Baicheng-You chickens (BBYCs), sixty silky Baicheng-You chickens (SBYCs) and sixty white Baicheng-You chickens (WBYCs), were reared from 1 to 120 day. A polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism strategy (PCR-SSCP) was used to detect the polymorphism of the A-FABP gene in the first exon, and the C51T silent mutational site was found. The IMF content with the AA genotype was significantly higher than that with the AG genotype (p = 0.0473) in the LM of WBYC. Thus, this site could be taken as a molecular marker in selecting a higher IMF content of LM in WBYC. A-FABP gene mRNA expression in the BM and LM of BYCs was detected, and a significant positive correlation was observed in the LM of WBYC. These findings provide fundamental data that might be useful in further study of the role of the A-FABP gene in IMF content and fatty metabolism in chickens.