Association of Calpain 1 (CAPN1) and HRSP12 allelic variants in beef cattle with carcass traits

Calpain 1 (CAPN1) and its activator HRSP12 are evaluated as candidate gene for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting meat tenderness. In this study, SNPs were detected by sequencing in 323 cattle from 9 breeds. The association results showed that the A3553G and T824C loci individually related with marbling and tenderness, and CAPN1/HRSP12 double homozygote and heterozygote/homozygote pairs (AA/TT, AA/CC, AG/TT and GG/TT) had higher marbling score than the other groups. Our findings suggest that polymorphisms in CAPN1 and HRSP12 might be the important genetic factor influencing meat quality in carcass trait.Key words: Cattle, Calpain 1, HRSP12, association, carcass trait