Genome scan linkage analysis identifies a major quantitative trait loci for fatty acid composition in longissimus dorsi muscle in an F(2) intercross between Landrace and Korean native pigs

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to locate quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing fatty acid (FA) composition in a large F(2) intercross between Landrace and Korean native pigs. METHODS: Eighteen FA composition traits were measured in more than 960 F(2) progeny. All experimental animals were genotyped with 165 microsatellite markers located throughout the pig autosomes. RESULTS: We detected 112 QTLs for the FA composition; Forty seven QTLs reached the genome-wide significant threshold. In particular, we identified a cluster of highly significant QTLs for FA composition on SSC12. QTL for polyunsaturated fatty acid on pig chromosome 12 (F-value = 97.2 under additive and dominance model, nominal p-value 3.6×10(−39)) accounted for 16.9% of phenotypic variance. In addition, four more QTLs for C18:1, C18:2, C20:4, and monounsaturated fatty acids on the similar position explained more than 10% of phenotypic variance. CONCLUSION: Our findings of a major QTL for FA composition presented here could provide helpful information to locate causative variants to improve meat quality traits in pigs.