Objective  Genetic variation of the insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 gene (IGFBP2 gene), relating to the meat quality of Sujiang pigs was studied.

  Method  The polymorphism of IGFBP2 gene was detected by PCR-RFLP in Sujiang pigs, Jiangquhai pigs and Duroc pigs, and the association between IGFBP2 gene polymorphism and meat quality traits in Sujiang pigs was analyzed.

  Result  One common Msp Ⅰ polymorphism in the intron 2 of IGFBP2 gene was found in the 3 pig populations. It consisted of 3 genotypes (AA, AB and BB) and two alleles (A and B) with AB being the dominant genotype and B the prevailing allele. The polymorphisms of the genes from the 3 pig species were moderate on their information content. The meat marbling of Sujiang pigs with the AA and AB genotypes was significantly more than that with the BB genotypes ( P< 0.05). The meat color of the pigs with the AA genotype was significantly more intense than that with the AB and BB genotypes ( P<0.05).

  Conclusion  The PCR-RFLP- Msp I polymorphism in the intron 2 of IGFBP2 gene of Sujiang pigs appeared to significantly correlate with the marbling and color of the pork. Consequently, the gene could potentially be used to study the meat quality improvement through breeding.