Correlation analysis between single-nucleotide polymorphism of malate dehydrogenase gene 5'-flanking region and growth and body composition traits in chicken.

Malate dehydrogenase (MD) is a key enzyme that plays an important role in energy metabolism. It catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of L-malate to yield CO2 and pyruvate, while simultaneously generating NADPH from NADP+. The NADPH generated can be utilized in de novo synthesis of palmitate, which is the precursor molecule for the formation of other long-chain fatty acids.