Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #273072
Title: Muscle Transcriptomic Analyses in Angus Cattle with Divergent Tenderness

Author
item ZHAO, C - University Of Maryland
item TIAN, F - University Of Maryland
item YU, Y - University Of Maryland
item LUO, J - University Of Maryland
item HU, Q - University Of Maryland
item ZAN, L - University Of Maryland
item Baldwin, Ransom - Randy
item Liu, Ge - George
item UPDIKE, M - University Of Maryland
item SONG, J - University Of Maryland

Submitted to: Molecular Biology Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/20/2012
Publication Date: 4/20/2012
Citation: Zhao,C., Tian, F., Yu, Y., Luo, J., Hu, Q., Bequette, B.J., Baldwin, R.L., Liu, G., Zan, L., Updike, M., Song, J. 2012. Muscle Transcriptomic Analyses in Angus Cattle with Divergent Tenderness. Molecular Biology Reports. 39(4):4185-93.

Interpretive Summary: Beef tenderness contributes significantly to variation of beef palatability and is determined by genetic and environmental factors. This study applied high throughput gene expression technologies and functional proteomics to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying attributes of beef quality in order to identify biomarkers from the myofibrillar muscle fraction that relate to beef tenderness. Although much research has been focused on beef tenderness, the functional genes controlling beef quality have yet to be identified. To gain further insight into the regulatory mechanisms controlling aspects of beef tenderness we evaluated the transcriptomic profiles of Angus cattle exhibiting different carcass tenderness characteristics. We identified several genes from longissimus dorsi muscle and further explored these putative regulatory genes by evaluating their interactions in gene networks and pathways that related to beef tenderness.

Technical Abstract: Beef tenderness contributes significantly to variation of beef palatability and is largely influenced by various genetic and environmental factors. To identify candidate genes and pathways related to beef tenderness, we analyzed the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle of Angus cattle with divergent degrees of tenderness, measured by Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF). Microarray and RT-PCR identified 53 genes that were differentially expressed between LD samples categorized as either tough or tender, including myosin, heavy chain 3 skeletal muscle embryonic (MYH3), myosin heavy chain 8 skeletal muscle perinatal (MYH8), guanylate binding protein 5 (GBP5), fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), Stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (SCD), Fatty acid synthase (FASN), ubiquitin-like with PHD and ring finger domains 1 (UHRF1). These genes are involved in lipid metabolism and skeletal muscle contraction. Employing Gene ontology (GO) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), several GO terms and pathways were found to be related to hydrolase activity, peptide activity, GTPase activity, lipid metabolism, small molecule biochemistry, molecular transport, and tissue development. Overall, this analysis provides insight into the metabolic relationships between muscle biology and beef quality.