A mutation in PHKG1 causes high drip loss and low meat quality in Chinese Ningdu yellow chickens

With increasing societal development and the concurrent improvement in people's quality of life, meat consumption has gradually changed from a focus on “quantity” to “quality”. Broiler production is increasingly used as a means to improve meat quality by altering various characteristics, especially its genetic factors. However, until now, little has been known about the genetic variants related to meat quality traits in Chinese purebred chicken populations. To better understand these genetic underpinnings, a total of 17 traits related to meat quality and carcass were measured in 325 Chinese Ningdu yellow chickens. We performed DNA sequencing to detect nucleotide mutations, after which we conducted association studies between PHKG1 gene polymorphisms and traits related to meat quality and carcass. Results indicated a large phenotypic variation in meat quality traits. More specifically, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs15845448 was significantly associated with drip loss at 24 h (P = 8.04 × 10−6) and 48 h (P = 5.47 × 10−6), pH (P = 2.39 × 10−3), and meat color L* (P = 9.88 × 10−3). Moreover, the SNP rs15845448 reduced 24 h and 48 h drip loss by 3.62% and 5.97%, respectively. However, no significant associations were found between rs15845448 and carcass traits (P > 0.05). Furthermore, a haplotype block containing two adjacent SNPs (rs15845448 and rs15845450) was identified. This block displayed four distinct haplotypes that had significant association with drip loss at 24 h and 48 h, pH, and meat color L*. Collectively, these results provide new insights into the genetic basis of meat quality in Chinese Ningdu yellow chickens. Moreover, the significance of SNP rs15845448 could be incorporated into the selection programs involving this breed.