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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #107778
Title: BOVINE CAPN1 MAPS TO A REGION OF BTA29 CONTAINING A QTL FOR MEAT TENDERNESS

Author
item Smith, Timothy - Tim
item Casas, Eduardo
item Rexroad, Caird
item Kappes, Steven - Steve
item Keele, John

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/4/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The calpain system has been identified biochemically as having a critical role in meat tenderization. This report provides the first evidence to support the possibility that genetic variation at the CAPN1 locus could contribute to the heritable component of meat tenderness.

Technical Abstract: Micromolar calcium activated neural protease (CAPN1) was investigated as a potential candidate gene for a quantitative trait locus (QTL) on BTA29 affecting meat tenderness. A 2,948 base pair (bp) bovine cDNA containing the entire coding region of the gene was obtained, showing 91% identity to human CAPN1. The 716 amino acid (aa) protein predicted from this sequence shows 97% similarity (95% identity) to the 714 aa human protein. Analysis of the gene structure revealed that CAPN1 mRNA is encoded by at least 19 exons. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the 11th intron were used to map bovine CAPN1 to the telomeric end of the BTA29 linkage group. This approximately coincides with the position of the QTL, demonstrating that CAPN1 protease is a positional candidate gene potentially affecting variation in meat tenderness in a bovine resource mapping population.