Acetyl-CoA carboxylase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase protein expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue is reduced in pigs selected for decreased backfat thickness at constant intramuscular fat content.

The objectives of this study were 1) to determine whether selection toward less subcutaneousfat thickness at constant intramuscular fat content in pigs is related to tissue-specific changes in the expression of lipogenic enzymes acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), and Δ6- desaturase (Δ6d); and 2) to investigate tissue specific distribution of the porcine ACC, SCD, and Δ6d. The study was conducted on 20 purebred Duroc barrows. Ten animals were from a group selected for decreased subcutaneous fat thickness at constant intramuscular fat content (experimental group). The other 10 animals were from the unselected (control) group. Distribution of ACC, SCD, and Δ6d was investigated in semimembranosus muscle (SM), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SA), liver (L), kidney (K), heart (H), diaphragm (D), rectus capitis muscle (RCM), and abdominal fat (AF). The enzyme expression was studied in 10 animals in the case of SM and SA and in 4 animals in the case of other tissues. The following expression pattern was established for ACC: SM ≤ H = K ≤ D < RCM < L < AF = SA, whereas the expression patterns for SCD and Δ6d proteins were SM < H < RCM < D < L < K < AF = SA and RCM = SM = D < L ≤ H < SA < K < AF, respectively. Expression of ACC and SCD proteins was less in subcutaneous adipose tissue of the experimental animals when compared with the control group (P 0.1) in ACC and SCD protein expression between the control and experimental groups was observed in SM. Expression of Δ6d protein did not differ between the control and experimental groups for SA (P = 0.47) or SM (P = 0.31). There was a positive relationship between muscle SCD protein expression and intramuscular fat content (r = 0.48, P < 0.05). Intramuscular fat content did not correlate with ACC or Δ6d protein expression (P = 0.23 and P = 0.80, respectively). We conclude that SCD might be an effective potential biomarker for intramuscular fat deposition. A. Canovas,* J. Estany,† M. Tor,† R. N. Pena,* and O. Doran‡2