<div><strong>Background: </strong>The development of local sheep breeds that have high fecundity levels, high meat content and high growth rates would help satisfy the Palestinian demand of meat and lower its price. It has been reported that mutant alleles of the genes Booroola fecundity (FecB), Callipyge (CLPG) and calpastatin (CAST) are associated with high litter size, larger muscular rumps and higher tenderness of meat after sheep slaughter, respectively. PCR-RFLPs methods have been established to facilitate the survey of sheep breeds for such mutants.<br />
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<strong>Methods:</strong> In this study, 117 blood samples of the most common sheep breed in Palestine, Assaf, were collected from Bethlehem and Jenin districts. Genomic DNA was extracted and purified from the blood samples using the salting out method. The genotypic ratios and allelic frequencies of the FecB, CLPG and CAST genes were determined by PCR-RFLP method. &nbsp;<br />
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<strong>Result: </strong>The results show that the mutant allele B of the FecB gene has a very low frequency among the screened sheep with 0.01 in Bethlehem and 0.07 in Jenin. Also, 94.4% of the tested sheep have the wildtype genotype AA for the CLPG gene with a frequency of 0.95 for allel A. Moreover, the desired heterzygous genotype MN for the CAST gene is 38.4% with an allelic frequency of 0.81 for the mutant allel M. These results would assist establishing sheep breeding programs with the appropriate parental genotypes to improve the livestock sector in the country.&nbsp;</div>


<div>Determination of the Polymorphism of the Booroola Fecundity B, Callipyge and Calpastatin Genes in Assaf Sheep Breed by PCR-RFLP Method</div>


<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background: </strong>Presently, the demand for sheep meat is directed mainly towards high quality products. Meat production improvement and meat quality are very important in sheep industry. The aim of this paper is focusing to review the papers to studies regarding the influence of genes to production and quality of meat.<br /><strong>Methods:</strong> Single nucleotide polymorphism microarrays are a molecular genetic method in searching the markers associated with meat production and meat quality traits in animal breeding.<br /><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Previous study had shown that genes like myostatin, leptin, calpastatin had influenced the meat production and meat quality traits. The meat production traits and meat quality traits have a moderate heritability and can be included in meat sheep breeding objectives.</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">The Genetic Influence on Sheep Meat Quality, Growth and Body Weight: A Review</div>

<div><strong>Background:</strong> Fat deposition affected meat quality and the suitable amount of intramuscular fat (IMF) can significantly improve the taste of meat, palatability, juicy, tenderness and flavor, thereby enhancing the meat quality in animals. Although, calpastatin (CAST) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-&gamma; (PPAR&gamma;) could regulate meat quality by altering meat tenderness or IMF content in animals, reports concerning the relationship between CAST, PPAR&atilde; expression and pork quality is unclear.<br />
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<strong>Methods:</strong> A total of twenty 28-day-old purebred weaned Jinhua and Landrace piglets (10 piglets per breed) were divided into two groups according to breed for the feeding trials lasting for 120 days. At the 148 days of age, 3 pigs of each breed were selected to slaughter. Total RNA was extracted from longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscle to investigate the differential expression of PPAR&atilde; and CAST in muscle tissues of different breed pigs by RT-PCR methods, as well as their relationship with IMF and carcass lean content.<br />
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<strong>Result: </strong>These results suggested that PPAR&atilde; is an important effector for regulating fat deposition in pigs, which was correlated with IMF and carcass lean content of pigs. This data would provide a scientific basis for the regulation of pork quality.</div>


Determination of the Polymorphism of the Booroola Fecundity B, Callipyge and Calpastatin Genes in Assaf Sheep Breed by PCR-RFLP Method

The Genetic Influence on Sheep Meat Quality, Growth and Body Weight: A Review

The Differential Expressions of PPARγ and CAST mRNA in Muscle Tissues of Jinhua and Landrace Pigs