Genes involved in lipid, carbohydrate and protein metabolic processes located in QTL regions affecting pork meat flavor

Pork flavor is a complex trait whose variability depends on both genetic and environmental factors affecting quantity and quality of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids present in meat. In the last twenty years, 99 Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) associated with the variability of the different pork flavor traits (Flavor score, Umami flavor, Overall liking, Juiciness score, Oiliness and Off-flavor score) were identified with different coverage percentages across all Sus scrofa chromosomes. In this review we summarize the available data on QTLs affecting pork flavor and update their location according to the latest version (11.1) of Sscrofa Genome Assembly. Furthermore, by means of Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of genes located in these QTL regions, we identified 107 genes involved in lipid, protein and carbohydrate metabolic processes, which could be considered as candidate genes affecting the variability of flavor traits.