Growth rate and carcass quality in relation to GH/MspI and GH/HaeII PCR-RFLP polymorhism in pigs*

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of two single nucleotide polymorphisms in growth hormone (GH) gene on performance traits in pigs. The animals (n= 320) belonged to four groups of commercial crosses being the progeny of crossbred Polish Landrace × Polish Large White sows and Polish Landrace, Polish Large White, Duroc or Pietrain boars. Genotypes of growth hormone gene (GH) were established with PCR-RFLP technique using MspI and HaeII endonucleases. The GH/MspI and GH/HaeII genotypes were found significantly related to the weight of ham, weight of ham meat and ham content of carcass. Moreover, nearly significant differences between GH/MspI genotypes were found for mean fat thickness (from five measurements), fat thickness at lower back (point K2) and over the loin, and for loin eye height. The results presented allow to assume that near the analysed mutation the QTLs for performance traits in pigs are located.