Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T18:45:10.078Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Meat quality traits and the expression of tenderness-related genes in the loins of young goats at different ages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 March 2019

E. Saccà Open the ORCID record for E. Saccà [Opens in a new window] ,
M. Corazzin Open the ORCID record for M. Corazzin [Opens in a new window] ,
S. Bovolenta Open the ORCID record for S. Bovolenta [Opens in a new window]  and
E. Piasentier Open the ORCID record for E. Piasentier [Opens in a new window]
E. Saccà*
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio, 2/A, 33100 Udine, Italy
M. Corazzin
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio, 2/A, 33100 Udine, Italy
S. Bovolenta
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio, 2/A, 33100 Udine, Italy
E. Piasentier
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio, 2/A, 33100 Udine, Italy
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Goat meat is considered healthy because of its low fat content, but it is often rather tough. Tenderness is the most important attribute of quality during meat consumption and there is scarce information about the expression of genes involved in the meat tenderization process in goats. The aim of this trial was to assess certain meat quality traits and the expression, at the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels, of specific genes involved in the tenderization process of the longissimus lumborum (LL) in young male goats (Capra hircus) at different ages. Samples of LL were collected at slaughter from 32 Alpine goats that were divided into three categories: 9 suckling kids (Sk) at 5.4±0.15 weeks of age, 16 chevons (Ch) at 17.1±0.55 weeks of age and 7 post-puberal goats (Pu) at 34.3±2.5 weeks of age. Animal and carcass variables (live weight gain, live weight, carcass weight and fat deposits) and quality traits of meat (lipid content, ultimate pH, color parameters, cooking loss and shear force) were determined. The mRNA abundances of calpain-1 (Capn1), calpain-2 (Capn2), calpastatin (Cast), caspase 3 (Casp3), caspase 9 (Casp9), αB-crystallin (Cryab), heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27), heat shock protein 40 (Hsp40) and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) were detected by quantitative PCR. Capn1, Cast, Cryab and Hsp27 protein expression was investigated by ELISA. The Sk group had the leanest carcasses. The meat of the Pu group was the darkest (P<0.05) and the toughest (P<0.05). The redness of meat increased with the age of the goats. The Sk group showed lower mRNA abundances for the Capn2/Cast ratio, Casp3, Cryab, Hsp27, Hsp40 and Hsp70 than the Pu group (P<0.05). Intermediate values were found for the Ch group. Similar results were highlighted for the protein expression of Cryab and Hsp27. The experiment acknowledged a differentiation of the experimental groups based on performance, carcass and meat characteristics, and the genes considered. Moreover, Sk and Pu groups, characterized by a different tenderness of their meat, were clearly discriminated by a different expression of the Hsp.

Keywords

calpainscaspasesheat shock proteinsPCRELISA method
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 13 , Issue 10 , October 2019 , pp. 2419 - 2428
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Argüello, A, Castro, A, Sánchez-Macías, N and Capote, J 2012. Effect of early nutrition on carcass and meat quality of young goats under milk production systems. In Meat goat production and quality (ed. O Mahgoub, IT Kadim and E Webb), pp. 292–323. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.Google Scholar
Becila, S, Herrera-Mendez, CH, Coulis, G, Laba, R, Astruc, T, Picard, B, Boudjellal, A, Pelissier, P, Bremaud, L and Ouali, A 2010. Postmortem muscle cells die through apoptosis. European Food Research and Technology 231, 485–493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernabucci, U, Basiricò, L, Lacetera, N, Morera, P, Ronchi, B, Accorsi, PA, Seren, E and Nardone, A 2006. Photoperiod affects gene expression of leptin and leptin receptors in adipose tissue from lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 4678–4686.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Borgogno, M, Corazzin, M, Saccà, E, Bovolenta, S and Piasentier, E 2015. Influence of familiarity with goat meat on liking and preference for capretto and chevon. Meat Science 106, 69–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brad Kim, YH, Ma, D, Setyabrata, D, Farouk, MM, Lonergan, SM, Huff-Lonergan, E and Hunt, MC 2018. Understanding postmortem biochemical processes and post-harvest aging factors to develop novel smart-aging strategies. Meat Science 144, 74–90.Google Scholar
Cassar-Malek, I and Picard, B 2016. Expression marker-based strategy to improve beef quality. Scientific World Journal 2016, 2185323.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chevallier, S, Bertrand, D, Kohler, A and Courcoux, P 2006. Application of PLS‐DA in multivariate image analysis. Journal of Chemometrics 20, 221–229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colomer Rocher, F, Morand-Fehr, P and Kirton, AH 1987. Standard methods and procedures for goat carcass evaluation, jointing and tissue separation. Livestock Production Science 17, 149–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Commission Internationale de I’Eclairage 1986. Colorimetry, Publication CIE No. 15.2, 2nd edition. CIE, Vienna, Austria.Google Scholar
Duckett, SK, Pratt, SL and Pavan, E 2009. Corn oil or corn grain supplementation to steers grazing endophyte-free tall fescue. II. Effects on subcutaneous fatty acid content and lipogenic gene expression. Journal of Animal Science 87, 1120–1128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finot, L, Marneta, PG and Dessaugea, F 2011. Reference gene selection for quantitative real-time PCR normalization: application in the caprine mammary gland. Small Ruminant Research 95, 20–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2018. Faostat database. Retrieved on 26 February 2018 from http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#home.Google Scholar
Gagaoua, M, Couvreur, S, Le Bec, G, Aminot, G and Brigitte Picard, B 2017. Associations among protein biomarkers and pH and color traits in Longissimus thoracis and Rectus abdominis muscles in Protected Designation of Origin Maine-Anjou cull cows. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 65, 3569–3580.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goll, DE, Neti, G, Mares, SW and Thompson, VF 2008. Myofibrillar protein turnover: the proteasome and the calpains. Journal of Animal Science 86, E19–E35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greenwood, SL, AlZahal, O, Swanson, KC, Matthews, JC and McBride, BW 2009. Influence of glutamine infusion on ubiquitin, caspase-3, cathepsins L and B, and m-calpain expression in sheep with nutritionally induced metabolic acidosis. Journal of Animal Science 87, 2073–2079.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guillemin, N, Bonnet, M, Jurie, C and Picard, B 2011. Functional analysis of beef tenderness. Journal of Proteomics 75, 352–365.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herrera-Mendez, CH, Becila, S, Boudjellal, A and Ouali, A 2006. Meat ageing: reconsideration of the current concept. Trends in Food Science & Technology 17, 394–405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Honikel, KO 1998. Reference methods for the assessment of physical characteristics of meat. Meat Science 49, 447–457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hothorn, T, Bretz, F and Westfall, P 2008. Simultaneous inference in general parametric models. Biometrical Journal 50, 346–363.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kadegowda, AKGM, Bionaz, M, Thering, B, Piperova, LS, Erdman, RA and Loor, JJ 2009. Identification of internal control genes for quantitative polymerase chain reaction in mammary tissue of lactating cows receiving lipid supplements. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 2007–2019.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaić, A, Cividini, A and Potočnik, K 2012. Influence of sex and age at slaughter on growth performance and carcass traits of Boer kids. Acta Agriculturae Slovenica 3, 281–285.Google Scholar
Kemp, CM, Oliver, WT, Wheeler, TL, Chishti, AH and Koohmaraie, M. 2013. The effects of Capn1 gene inactivation on skeletal muscle growth, development, and atrophy, and the compensatory role of other proteolytic systems. Journal of Animal Science 91, 3155–3167.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kemp, CM, Sensky, PL, Bardsley, RG, Buttery, PJ and Parr, T 2010. Tenderness - an enzymatic view. Meat Science 84, 248–256.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koohmaraie, M and Geesink, GH 2006. Contribution of postmortem muscle biochemistry to the delivery of consistent meat quality with particular focus on the calpain system. Meat Science 74, 34–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koohmaraie, M, Kent, MP, Shackelford, SD, Veiseth, E and Wheeler, TL 2002. Meat tenderness and muscle growth: is there any relationship? Meat Science 62, 345–352.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Le Cao, KA, Rohart, F, Gonzalez, I and Dejean, S 2017. mixOmics: omics data integration project. R package version 6.3.1. Retrieved on 5 March 2018 from https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=mixOmics.Google Scholar
Lenth, R 2018. emmeans: estimated marginal means, aka least-squares means. R package version 1.1.2. Retrieved on 5 March 2018 from https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=emmeans.Google Scholar
Lin, Y, Zhu, J, Wang, Y, Li, Q and Lin, S 2017. Identification of differentially expressed genes through RNA sequencing in goats (Capra hircus) at different postnatal stages. PLOS One 12, e0182602.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Livak, KJ and Schmittgen, TD 2001. Analysis of relative gene expression data using real-time quantification PCR and the 2−ΔΔCt method. Methods 25, 402–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lomiwes, D, Hurst, SM, Dobbie, P, Frost, DA, Hurst, RD, Young, OA and Farouk, MM 2014. The protection of bovine skeletal myofibrils from proteolytic damage post mortem by small heat shock proteins. Meat Science 97, 548–557.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mberema, CHH, Lietz, G, Kyriazakis, I and Sparagano, OAE 2016. The effects of gender and muscle type on the mRNA levels of the calpain proteolytic system and beef tenderness during post-mortem aging. Livestock Science 185, 123–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Møller, AJ 1981. Analysis of Warner-Bratzler shear pattern with regard to myofibrillar and connective tissue components of tenderness. Meat Science 5, 247–260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Muroya, S, Neath, KE, Nakajima, I, Oe, M, Shibata, M, Ojima, K and Chikuni, K 2012. Differences in mRNA expression of calpains, calpastatin isoforms and calpain/calpastatin ratios among bovine skeletal muscles. Animal Science Journal 83, 252–259.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nørgaard, JV, Theil, PK, Sørensen, MT and Sejrsen, K 2008. Cellular mechanisms in regulating mammary cell turnover during lactation and dry period in dairy cows. Journal Dairy Science 91, 2319–2327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pfaffl, MW 2001. A new mathematical model for relative quantification in real-time RT-PCR. Nucleic Acids Research 29, 2002–2007.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Piasentier, E, Volpelli, LA, Sepulcri, A, Maggioni, L and Corti, M 2005. Effect of milk feeding system on carcass and meat quality of Frisa Valtellinese kids. Italian Journal of Animal Science 4, 398–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Picard, B, Gagaoua, M, Micol, D, Cassar-Malek, I, Hocquette, J-F and Terlouw, CEM 2014. Inverse relationships between biomarkers and beef tenderness according to contractile and metabolic properties of the muscle. Journal of Agricutural and Food Chemistry 62, 9808–9818.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
R Core Team 2017. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria. Retrieved on 24 May 2017 from https://www.R-project.org.Google Scholar
Rojo Rubio, R, Kholif, AE, Salem, AZM, Mendoza, GD, Elghandour, MMMY, Vazquez-Armijo, JF and Lee-Rangel, H 2016. Lactation curves and body weight changes of Alpine, Saanen and Anglo-Nubian goats as well as pre-weaning growth of their kids. Journal of Applied Animal Research 44, 331–337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saccà, E, Bessong, WO, Corazzin, M, Bovolenta, S and Piasentier, E 2018. Comparison of longissimus thoracis physical quality traits and the expression of tenderness related genes between Goudali zebu breed and Italian Simmental × Goudali crossbreed. Italian Journal of Animal Science 17, 851–858.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saccà, E, Corazzin, M, Pizzutti, N, Lippe, G and Piasenter, E 2015. Early post-mortem expression of genes related to tenderization in two Italian Simmental young bulls’ skeletal muscles differing in contractile type. Animal Science Journal 86, 992–999.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sañudo, C, Campo, MM, Muela, E, Olleta, JL, Delfa, R, Jiménez-Badillo, R, Alcalde, MJ, Horcada, A, Oliveira, I and Cilla, I 2012. Carcass characteristics and instrumental meat quality of suckling kids and lambs. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research 10, 690–700.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharma, S, Ramesh, K, Hyder, I, Uniyal, S, Yadav, VP, Panda, RP, Maurya, VP, Singh, G, Kumar, P, Mitra, A and Sarkar, M 2013. Effect of melatonin administration on thyroid hormones, cortisol and expression profile of heat shock proteins in goats (Capra hircus) exposed to heat stress. Small Ruminant Research 112, 216–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sorensen, MT, Nørgaard, JV, Theil, PK, Vestergaard, M and Sejrsen, K 2006. Cell turnover and activity in mammary tissue during lactation and the dry period in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 4632–4639.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Starkey, CP, Geesink, GH, van de Ven, R and Hopkins, DL 2017. The relationship between shear force, compression, collagen characteristics, desmin degradation and sarcomere length in lamb biceps femoris . Meat Science 126, 18–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sutherland, MM and Ames, JM 1996. Free fatty acid composition of the adipose tissue of intact and castrated lambs slaughtered at 12 and 30 weeks of age. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 44, 3113–3116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Therkildsen, M, Houbak, MB and Byrne, DV 2008. Feeding strategy for improving tenderness has opposite effects in two different muscles. Meat Science 80, 1037–1045.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Therkildsen, M, Melchior Larsen, L, Bang, HG and Vestergaard, M 2002. Effect of growth rate on tenderness development and final tenderness of meat from Friesian calves. Animal Science 74, 253–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandesompele, J, De Preter, K, Pattyn, F, Poppe, B, Van Roy, N, De Paepe, A and Spelman, F 2002. Accurate normalization of real-time quantitative RT-PCR data by geometric averaging of multiple internal control genes. Genome Biology 3, research0034.1-0034.11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, EC, Casey, NH and Simela, L 2005. Goat meat quality. Small Ruminant Research 60, 153–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, X, Cui, Y, Yue, J, He, H, Yu, C, Liu, P, Liu, J, Ren, X and Meng, Y 2017. The histological characteristics, age-related thickness change of skin, and expression of the HSPs in the skin during hair cycle in yak (Bos grunniensis). PLOS One 12, e0176451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, M, Xin, L, Bao, E, Hartung, J and Yue, Z 2011. Variation in the expression of Hsp27, aB-crystallin mRNA and protein in heart and liver of pigs exposed to different transport times. Research in Veterinary Science 90, 432–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, Q, Lee, H-G, Han, J-A, Kang, SK, Lee, NK, Baik, M and Choi, YJ 2012. Differentially expressed proteins associated with myogenesis and adipogenesis in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue between bulls and steers. Molecular Biology Reports 39, 953–960.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhang, Q, Lee, H-G, Han, J-A, Kim, EB, Kang, SK, Yin, J, Baik, M, Shen, Y, Kim, S-H, Seo, K-S and Choi, Y-J 2010. Differentially expressed proteins during fat accumulation in bovine skeletal muscle. Meat Science 86, 814–820.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Saccà et al. supplementary material

Table S1

Download Saccà et al. supplementary material(File)
File 17.8 KB