This study investigated the lipid droplet coat proteins perilipin 1 (PLIN1) and 
perilipin 2 (PLIN2) localization in pig skeletal muscle and their relationship 
with intramuscular fat (IMF) content. PLIN1 and PLIN2 proteins were 
immunostained in semimembranosus muscle cross-sections from two groups of 
samples divergent for IMF and the gene expression was quantified. PLIN1 
localized in the periphery of intramuscular adipocytes, whereas PLIN2 localized 
within myofibers with high lipid content. The high IMF group showed higher total 
cross-sectional area of PLIN1-stained adipocytes compared with the low IMF group 
(P<0.05), while the cross-sectional area and percentage of PLIN2-positive 
myofibers did not differ between IMF-divergent groups. This suggested that IMF 
content is mainly determined by extra-myocellular lipids. At mRNA level, PLIN2 
expression was higher in high IMF muscles (P<0.05). The results indicate for the 
first time that in pig muscle PLIN1 and PLIN2 proteins are localized in 
correspondence with extra and intra-myocellular lipids, respectively.