Association of FASN and SCD genes with fatty acid composition in broilers

Fatty acids (FAs) were considered in activating nuclear hormone receptors that play significant roles in the cellular lipid metabolism by the regulation of several genes. Previously, fatty acid synthase (FASN) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) genes have been known to regulating the FA metabolism. In this study, associations of FASN and SCD genes with fatty acid (FA) composition in broilers were investigated. Tissue samples from 95 Cobb 500 broilers were used for DNA extraction. The g.1222 A>G SNP located in intron 42 of FASN gene and 2 SNPs in SCD gene, one in exon 2 (g.3728A>G) and the other in exon 4 (g.12903G>A), were subjected for genotyping using PCR-RFLP method. One of the SNPs in SCD gene, SNP g.3728A>G had significant association with myristoleic acid (C14:1; P<0.05), palmitic acid (C16:0; P<0.05), palmitoleic acid (C16:1; P<0.05) and saturated FA (SFA; P<0.05). However, the SNP g.1222A>G in FASN gene had only suggestive association with arachidic acid (C20:0; P=0.08). The findings in this study suggest that the SNP in exon 2 of SCD gene can be used as a molecular marker for selecting birds having desirable FA composition in broilers.