Novel polymorphisms of the PRKAG2 gene and their association with body measurement and meat quality traits in Qinchuan cattle.

Body measurement and meat quality traits play important roles in the evaluation of productivity and economy in cattle, which are influenced by genes and environmental factors. PRKAG2, which encodes the γ2 regulatory subunit of AMPK, is associated with key metabolic pathways in muscle. We detected bovine PRKAG2 gene polymorphisms and analyzed their associations with body measurement and meat quality traits of cattle. DNA samples were taken from 578 Qinchuan cattle aged 18-24 months. DNA sequencing, polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to detect PRKAG2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Sequence analysis revealed three SNPs in exon 3 (g.95925G>A, g.95973G>C, and g.95992A>G) and one g.96058T>C mutation in intron 3. g.95973G>C, g.95992A>G, and g.96058T>C each showed 3 genotypes: GG, GC, and CC; AA, AG, and GG; and TT, TC, and CC, respectively. In contrast, g.95925G>A only showed 2 genotypes, GG and GA. Analysis showed that g.95925G>A had no effects on body measurement and meat quality traits, whereas the other 3 polymorphisms were significantly associated with some of the body measurement and meat quality traits in the Qinchuan cattle population. It is inferred that the PRKAG2 gene can be used for marker-assisted selection to improve the body measurement and meat quality traits in the Qinchuan cattle population.