Tissue Expression and Variation of the DGAT2 Gene and Its Effect on Carcass and Meat Quality Traits in Yak

Abstract

Diacylglycerol acyltransferase-2 (DGAT2) plays a key role in the synthesis of animal triglycerides (TGs). This study investigated the relative expression of the DGAT2 gene in tissues, variation in the gene, and its association with carcass and meat quality traits in yaks (Bos grunniens). DGAT2 was found to be expressed in twelve tissues investigated, but the highest expression was detected in subcutaneous fat, and moderate levels were observed in the liver, heart, longissimus dorsi muscle, and abomasum. Three variants (A1 to C1) were found in intron 5 and another three variants (A2 to C2) were found in intron 6, with two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) being identified in each region in 694 Gannan yaks. Variants B1 and C2 were associated with a decrease in Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) (p = 0.0020 and p = 0.0441, respectively), and variant C1 was associated with an increase in WBSF (p = 0.0434) and a decrease in drip loss rate (p = 0.0271), whereas variant B2 was associated with a decrease in cooking loss rate (p = 0.0142). Haplotypes A1-A2 and B1-A2 were found to be, respectively, associated with an increase and a decrease in WBSF (p = 0.0191 and p = 0.0010, respectively). These results indicate that DGAT2 could be a useful gene marker for improving meat tenderness in yaks.