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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #91559
Title: DISCOVERY OF MYOSTATIN AS THE GENE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOUBLE MUSCLING, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR MEAT PRODUCTION

Author
item Smith, Timothy - Tim
item Casas, Eduardo
item Fahrenkrug, Scott
item Stone, Roger
item Kappes, Steven - Steve
item Keele, John

Submitted to: American Meat Science Association Conference Reciprocal Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Double muscling is a condition recognized in cattle for over a century, characterized by a visible muscular hypertrophy (mh) caused by muscle fiber hyperplasia. Some cattle breeds have been selected for this trait to the point where nearly every animal displays the double muscled syndrome, which includes effects on limb bone length, fat content, retail product yield, and fertility. Carcasses of double muscled animals are nearly ideal from a meat standpoint, delivering increased yield of the highest value cuts that are leaner than normal animals. This review discusses the positive and negative aspects of the double muscled syndrome, describes the process by which the gene responsible was discovered, and gives perspectives on how this information can be used in production systems to increase efficiency of lean meat production.