Frequency of the Rendement Napole RN^- allele in a population of American Hampshire pigs

A total of 204 purebred Hampshire pigs were obtained from 23 breeders. These animals were the progeny of 41 sires and 123 dams. A sample of purebred Yorkshire (n = 24) pigs were also used in the study. Animals were classified by glycolytic potential determined on a live-animal longissimus muscle biopsy sample. Hampshire pigs (n = 176) with glycolytic potential greater than 185 μmol/g (x̄ = 238.8 μmol/g; SD = 29.54) were classified as heterozygous or homozygous for the dominant RN^- allele (RN^-rn⁺ or RN^-RN^-, respectively), whereas cohorts (n = 28) with glycolytic potential less than 185 μmol/g (x̄ = 141.3 μmol/g; SD = 24.48) were considered as homozygous normal (rn⁺rn⁺). All Yorkshire pigs (n = 24) had a mean glycolytic potential level of 146.1 μmol/g (SD = 20.18) and were considered as homozygous normal (rn⁺rn⁺). The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium yielded frequencies of .630 and .370 for the dominant RN^- allele and normal rn⁺ alleles in the Hampshire population, respectively, and genotypic frequencies of .397 (RN^-RN^-), .466 (RN^-rn⁺), and .137 (rn⁺rn⁺). Hampshires with glycolytic potential ≥ 185 μmol/g had significantly lower longissimus muscle ultimate pH, intramuscular fat, subjective marbling scores, and percentage of protein (P < .001) and had greater longissimus muscle percentage of moisture (P < .001), drip loss (P < .01), and cooking loss (P < .001) than rn⁺rn⁺ Hampshires and Yorkshires. These data suggest the RN^- allele exists at a high frequency within the American Hampshire breed. Higher glycolytic potential levels, which accompany the allele, may cause decreased meat quality.