Abstract: The aim of the present study was to characterize the expression of lipid coated protein gene（perilipin） in different muscular tissues in sheep and to provide scientific basis for elucidating the regulative effect of perilipin on fat deposition. Realtime fluorescence quantitative PCR（RT-q PCR） assay was used to determine the relative expression of perilipin gene in longissimus muscle, intercostal muscle, biceps muscle and quadriceps muscle of Sunite Sheep and Small-tail Han Sheep. The results showed that the perilipin gene was expressed in all four muscular tissues; there were no significant differences in the overall expression level of perilipin gene between Sunite Sheep and Small-tail Han Sheep; besides intercostal muscle, the relative expression level of perilipin gene in longissimus muscle and biceps muscle of Sunite Sheep was higher than that of Small-tail Han Sheep, and basically the same relative expression level of perilipin gene in quadriceps muscle of Sunite Sheep and Small-tail Han Sheep was observed; for Sunite Sheep, the highest expression level of perilipin gene was found in longissimus muscle followed by quadriceps muscle, the lowest expression level was observed in intercostal muscle, and the expression level between longissimus muscle and intercostal muscle was significantly different（P〈0.05）; for Small-tail Han Sheep, the highest expression level of perilipin gene was found in intercostal muscle, the expression level in longissimus muscle and quadriceps muscle was basically the same, the lowest expression level was observed in biceps muscle, and the expression level between intercostal muscle and biceps muscle was significantly different（P〈0.05）. This study laid a foundation for clarifying the important role of perilipin gene in fat deposition and decomposition and the regulation mechanism of intramuscular fat in sheep.