Table 6 Significant associations (P-value < 0.05) and tendencies towards association (P-value < 0.1) for the most abundant ANK1 gene promoter haplotypes with meat quality traits and least squares means for haplotype copy number

HAP1

N = 109

N = 27

N = 5

Texture-SM

0.0012

3.48 ± 0.08^a

3.74 ± 0.12^a

2.82 ± 0.24^b

Texture-LTL

0.0974

3.18 ± 0.10

3.40 ± 0.15

3.74 ± 0.30

Firmness-SM

0.0917

5.61 ± 0.08

5.76 ± 0.11

5.25 ± 0.23

Firmness-LTL

0.0176

5.18 ± 0.09

5.45 ± 0.13

5.79 ± 0.26

HAP2

N = 61

N = 67

N = 13

Texture-SM

0.0125

3.66 ± 0.09^a

3.39 ± 0.09^b

3.36 ± 0.19^ab

Texture-LTL

0.0861

3.33 ± 0.11

3.21 ± 0.11

2.82 ± 0.23

Juiciness-SM

0.0918

4.51 ± 0.14

4.83 ± 0.14

4.78 ± 0.29

IMF-SM

0.0275

1.06 ± 0.16^a

1.10 ± 0.16^a

1.95 ± 0.33^b

IMF-LTL

0.0276

2.06 ± 0.24^a

2.41 ± 0.24^ab

3.30 ± 0.48^b

HAP3

N = 92

N = 43

N = 6

Tenderness-SM

0.0317

5.26 ± 0.14^a

4.82 ± 0.16^b

5.20 ± 0.41^ab

Shear force-LTL

0.0727

45.19 ± 2.90

51.83 ± 3.11

54.42 ± 7.44

Texture-LTL

0.0070

3.12 ± 0.11^a

3.46 ± 0.12^b

2.80 ± 0.29^ab

HAP4

N = 100

N = 35

N = 6

Tenderness-LTL

0.0195

5.30 ± 0.14^a

5.82 ± 0.20^b

5.65 ± 0.42^ab

Shear force-LTL

0.0188

50.12 ± 2.61^a

41.99 ± 3.57^b

36.92 ± 7.68^ab

Texture-LTL

0.0146

3.34 ± 0.10^a

2.97 ± 0.14^b

2.99 ± 0.30^ab

Firmness-LTL

0.0143

5.34 ± 0.09^a

5.00 ± 0.12^b

5.02 ± 0.27^ab