Identification of polymorphisms in the PLIN2 gene in Nellore cattle

Genetic variations in genes involved in lipid storage may represent useful markers in marker assisted selection programs, which may interfere with important phenotypic traits such as intramuscular fat deposition in cattle. An important candidate gene is PLIN2 that plays a role in the capture of long chain fatty acids and in the formation and stabilization of lipid droplets in different tissues including muscle. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize polymorphisms present in the PLIN2 gene of Nellore animals. To date, there is not much information on mutations in the PLIN2 gene in Bos indicus animals. A total of 134 SNPs was identified in the genomic region of PLIN2 gene and five of those are novel with a moderate impact. These SNPs may change the protein effectiveness and, after further association studies and functional validation, could be used as genomic markers in animal breeding program.