Trait correlated expression combined with eQTL and ASE analyses identified novel candidate genes affecting intramuscular fat.

Background: Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is a determining factor for meat taste. The Luchuan pig is a fat-type local breed in southern China that is famous for its desirable meat quality due to high IMF, however, the crossbred offspring of Luchuan sows and Duroc boars displayed within-population variation on meat quality, and the reason remains unknown.

Results: In the present study, we identified 212 IMF-correlated genes (FDR ≤ 0.