©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 10 (3): 2213-2222 (2011) Lack of an association between a single nucleotide polymorphism in the bovine myogenic determination 1 (MyoD1) gene and meat quality traits in indigenous Chinese cattle breeds J.A. Ujan 1 , L.S. Zan 1,2 , H.B. Wang 1,2 , S.A. Ujan 3 , C. Adoligbe 1 , H.C. Wang 1 and S.F. Biao 1 1 College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China 2 National Beef Cattle Improvement Centre, Yangling, Shaanxi, P.R. China 3 Government Sachal Sarmast College Ranipur, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan Corresponding author: L.S. Zan or J.A. Ujan E-mail: zanls@yahoo.com.cn / javed.asrl_nwsuaf@live.com Genet. Mol. Res. 10 (3): 2213-2222 (2011) Received November 5, 2010 Accepted February 22, 2011 Published September 27, 2011 DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.4238/vol10-3gmr1141 ABSTRACT. The myogenic determination 1 (MyoD1) gene is a member of the MyoD gene family. It encodes for skeletal muscle- speciic transcription factors containing highly conserved basic helix- loop-helix regions that perform important roles in the initiation, maintenance, and regulation of phenotypic traits. We investigated a new single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the MyoD1 gene to evaluate whether this polymorphism affects meat quality traits in ive Chinese indigenous cattle breeds, namely Qinchuan (QC), Xia-Nan (XN), Nan-yang (NY), Luxi (LX), and Jia-xian red (JXR). A C→G transversion at position 624 was detected in exon 1 of the MyoD1 gene; it causes an amino acid substitution ( 624 serine/ 624 cysteine). Least squares analysis showed that this SNP is not signiicantly associated with back