Association of -867G>C, -877Gdel, and exon 5G>T polymorphisms in the stearoyl-coa desaturase (SCD) gene with fatty acid composition in the M. Longissimus dorsi muscle of Hanwoo (Korean cattle)

This study aimed to identify genetic polymorphisms associated with fatty acid composition in Hanwoo beef. In this study, three SNPs (-867G>C, -877Gdel and 878T>C) were detected in SCD gene by DNA sequencing and PCR-RFLP. Statistical analysis revealed that 878T>C SNP was significantly associated with total saturated (p=0.016), unsaturated (p=0.016), and monounsaturated fatty acid (p=0.026) composition. However, the other two SNPs (-867G>C and -877Gdel) that are detected in the regulatory region of the SCD gene have no association with the fatty acid composition of Hanwoo meat. The 878C (alanine type) allele was found to be associated with 2.2% higher monounsaturated fatty acid, 1.5% lower saturated fatty acid, and 1.4% higher unsaturated fatty acid content than those associated with the 878T (valine type) allele. These results indicate that the non-synonymous SNP (878T>C) in the SCD gene could be a causal mutation that contributes to the MUFA variation in Hanwoo beef.