彩色獭兔肉品质和产肉性能与agouti基因的关联分析

Agouti基因除了控制毛色外，也影响动物进食行为等多种生理过程。通过测定彩色獭兔产肉性能和肉品质，分析agouti基因多态性和表达量对其影响。结果显示，彩色獭兔agouti基因有三个等位基因，A（野生型），at（tan型），a（non-agouti型），代表毛色分别为海狸色、水貂色、黑色。从产肉性能来看，彩色獭兔有较高的屠宰率、净肉率和肉骨比，肉质保水性较好，熟肉率高，肌肉嫩度好，整体肉品质较高。獭兔养殖中，除重视彩色獭兔皮用价值外，亦应重视兔肉价值。Agouti多态性对彩色獭兔产肉性能和肉品质的影响效果依次为：海狸色>黑色>水貂色；agouti基因表达量与彩色獭兔产肉性能相关性不显著（P>0.05），但与肉品质显著相关（P<0.05）。Agouti基因是控制彩色獭兔被毛颜色的基因，亦影响獭兔的肉品质，可能和参与哺乳动物脂肪的形成有关；agouti基因过表达时，可能影响其生产性能等性状。
Apart from regulating the coat color in mammals, the agouti gene also affects a variety of physiological processes including feeding behavior. In this study, the effects of agouti gene polymorphism and expression on production and quality of colored Rex Rabbit meat were examined. The results showed that colored Rex Rabbits exhibited three agouti gene alleles: “A” (wild type), “at” (Tan), and “a” (non-agouti), which represent castor, otter, and black coat color, respectively. With regard to meat yield, colored Rex Rabbits showed higher dressing percentage, meat percentage, and meat-bone ratio. The overall meat quality was generally excellent, with good water retention capability, high cooked-meat percentage, and good meat tenderness. Thus, Rex Rabbit farming not only focuses on the value of colored Rex Rabbit skin, but also the value of the rabbit meat. The influence of agouti gene polymorphisms on meat production and meat quality were in the following order of color: castor > black > otter. Agouti gene expression did not show a significant correlation with meat production (p >0.05), but was significantly correlated with meat quantity (p < 0.05). In summary, the agouti gene not only controls the color of Rex Rabbit fur, but also the meat quality, and may be associated with fat formation in mammals. When the agouti gene is over-expressed, it may affect other traits such as meat production.