The obese gene encodes leptin, a 16-kDa protein involved in the regulation of fat deposition and energy consumption.
Backfat is one of the peculiar characteristics of Italian ham, and represents a fundamental quality factor. Therefore, the
obese gene can be considered as a candidate marker for determining economically important production traits such as
backfat thickness, feed intake, and growth rate in swine. The aim was to investigate the relationship between obese gene
polymorphisms and carcass and meat characteristics of pigs reared for ham production. In the present research, the analyses
of three new RFLPs are reported. An MwoI polymorphism occurs at nucleotide 1792, within the intron. Pigs heterozygous
at this position have heavier thighs with a thinner layer of fat. Two SmaI polymorphisms occur at nucleotides
5018 and 5410 within the 3’ UTR of the obese gene. Animals heterozygous at position 5410 have characteristics suitable
for the production of San Daniele ham: lower backfat thickness and heavier thighs with a thinner fat layer, relative to
other genotypes.
