The effects of gender and muscle type on the mRNA levels of the calpain proteolytic system and beef tenderness during post-mortem aging

Christopher Heinz Hunke Mberema; Georg Lietz; Ilias Kyriazakis; Olivier A.E. Sparagano

doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2016.01.020

The effects of gender and muscle type on the mRNA levels of the calpain proteolytic system and beef tenderness during post-mortem aging

Christopher Heinz Hunke Mberema^*, Georg Lietz, Ilias Kyriazakis, Olivier A.E. Sparagano

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of gender and muscle type on the mRNA levels of the calpain system and the tenderization of beef meat. The Longissimus thoracis (LT) and the Semimembranosus (SM) were sampled from each bull, steer and heifer after routine slaughter (Six animals per group). The mRNA levels of μ-calpain, m-calpain, calpain-3 and calpastatin were quantified using real-time PCR. Concurrently, tenderness was determined following the Warner-Bratzler Shearforce (WBSF) procedure and rate of tenderization during post-mortem storage was calculated from the WBSF values of 7d and 35d aged steaks. The results show that bulls had significantly lower (P<0.01) WBSF values than heifers which were accompanied by higher (P<0.01) levels of μ-calpain and calpain-3 mRNA but similar levels of calpastatin as compared to heifers. There was a significantly higher (P<0.05) calpastatin expression in steers, as compared to heifers. However, μ-calpain expression was lower (P<0.05) in heifers whose meat was significantly tougher (P<0.05) than that of steers. Steer meat was slightly tougher than that of bulls, while steers had had a tendency to express higher levels of calpastatin but similar μ-calpain and calpain-3 mRNA. The LT had lower (P<0.05) WBSF values than the SM but these muscles tenderised at the same rate, and had similar mRNA levels for all investigated genes. M-calpain mRNA levels were not significantly affected by muscle and gender (P>0.05). Moreover, calpain 3 was negatively correlated to 7d WBSF values (P<0.05). Despite the small sample size, these results suggest that variations in beef tenderness could be modulated through the differential expression of the members of the calpain system, specifically, μ-calpain, calpain 3 and calpastatin.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	123-130
Number of pages	8
Journal	Livestock Science
Volume	185
Early online date	02 Feb 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2016.01.020
Publication status	Published - 01 Mar 2016
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Christopher Bulman at Newcastle University for excellent technical assistance with sample collection and laboratory work. This study was supported by funding through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (Grant reference number: NACS-2008-240 ).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

Beef cattle
Calpain
Calpastatin
Gender
Gene expression
Meat quality

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Animal Science and Zoology
General Veterinary

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10.1016/j.livsci.2016.01.020Licence: Unspecified

Cite this

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title = "The effects of gender and muscle type on the mRNA levels of the calpain proteolytic system and beef tenderness during post-mortem aging",

abstract = "The objective of this study was to determine the effects of gender and muscle type on the mRNA levels of the calpain system and the tenderization of beef meat. The Longissimus thoracis (LT) and the Semimembranosus (SM) were sampled from each bull, steer and heifer after routine slaughter (Six animals per group). The mRNA levels of μ-calpain, m-calpain, calpain-3 and calpastatin were quantified using real-time PCR. Concurrently, tenderness was determined following the Warner-Bratzler Shearforce (WBSF) procedure and rate of tenderization during post-mortem storage was calculated from the WBSF values of 7d and 35d aged steaks. The results show that bulls had significantly lower (P<0.01) WBSF values than heifers which were accompanied by higher (P<0.01) levels of μ-calpain and calpain-3 mRNA but similar levels of calpastatin as compared to heifers. There was a significantly higher (P<0.05) calpastatin expression in steers, as compared to heifers. However, μ-calpain expression was lower (P<0.05) in heifers whose meat was significantly tougher (P<0.05) than that of steers. Steer meat was slightly tougher than that of bulls, while steers had had a tendency to express higher levels of calpastatin but similar μ-calpain and calpain-3 mRNA. The LT had lower (P<0.05) WBSF values than the SM but these muscles tenderised at the same rate, and had similar mRNA levels for all investigated genes. M-calpain mRNA levels were not significantly affected by muscle and gender (P>0.05). Moreover, calpain 3 was negatively correlated to 7d WBSF values (P<0.05). Despite the small sample size, these results suggest that variations in beef tenderness could be modulated through the differential expression of the members of the calpain system, specifically, μ-calpain, calpain 3 and calpastatin.",

keywords = "Beef cattle, Calpain, Calpastatin, Gender, Gene expression, Meat quality",

author = "Mberema, {Christopher Heinz Hunke} and Georg Lietz and Ilias Kyriazakis and Sparagano, {Olivier A.E.}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Christopher Bulman at Newcastle University for excellent technical assistance with sample collection and laboratory work. This study was supported by funding through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (Grant reference number: NACS-2008-240 ). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 Elsevier B.V.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.livsci.2016.01.020",

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T1 - The effects of gender and muscle type on the mRNA levels of the calpain proteolytic system and beef tenderness during post-mortem aging

AU - Mberema, Christopher Heinz Hunke

AU - Lietz, Georg

AU - Kyriazakis, Ilias

AU - Sparagano, Olivier A.E.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Christopher Bulman at Newcastle University for excellent technical assistance with sample collection and laboratory work. This study was supported by funding through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (Grant reference number: NACS-2008-240 ). Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2016/3/1

Y1 - 2016/3/1

N2 - The objective of this study was to determine the effects of gender and muscle type on the mRNA levels of the calpain system and the tenderization of beef meat. The Longissimus thoracis (LT) and the Semimembranosus (SM) were sampled from each bull, steer and heifer after routine slaughter (Six animals per group). The mRNA levels of μ-calpain, m-calpain, calpain-3 and calpastatin were quantified using real-time PCR. Concurrently, tenderness was determined following the Warner-Bratzler Shearforce (WBSF) procedure and rate of tenderization during post-mortem storage was calculated from the WBSF values of 7d and 35d aged steaks. The results show that bulls had significantly lower (P<0.01) WBSF values than heifers which were accompanied by higher (P<0.01) levels of μ-calpain and calpain-3 mRNA but similar levels of calpastatin as compared to heifers. There was a significantly higher (P<0.05) calpastatin expression in steers, as compared to heifers. However, μ-calpain expression was lower (P<0.05) in heifers whose meat was significantly tougher (P<0.05) than that of steers. Steer meat was slightly tougher than that of bulls, while steers had had a tendency to express higher levels of calpastatin but similar μ-calpain and calpain-3 mRNA. The LT had lower (P<0.05) WBSF values than the SM but these muscles tenderised at the same rate, and had similar mRNA levels for all investigated genes. M-calpain mRNA levels were not significantly affected by muscle and gender (P>0.05). Moreover, calpain 3 was negatively correlated to 7d WBSF values (P<0.05). Despite the small sample size, these results suggest that variations in beef tenderness could be modulated through the differential expression of the members of the calpain system, specifically, μ-calpain, calpain 3 and calpastatin.

AB - The objective of this study was to determine the effects of gender and muscle type on the mRNA levels of the calpain system and the tenderization of beef meat. The Longissimus thoracis (LT) and the Semimembranosus (SM) were sampled from each bull, steer and heifer after routine slaughter (Six animals per group). The mRNA levels of μ-calpain, m-calpain, calpain-3 and calpastatin were quantified using real-time PCR. Concurrently, tenderness was determined following the Warner-Bratzler Shearforce (WBSF) procedure and rate of tenderization during post-mortem storage was calculated from the WBSF values of 7d and 35d aged steaks. The results show that bulls had significantly lower (P<0.01) WBSF values than heifers which were accompanied by higher (P<0.01) levels of μ-calpain and calpain-3 mRNA but similar levels of calpastatin as compared to heifers. There was a significantly higher (P<0.05) calpastatin expression in steers, as compared to heifers. However, μ-calpain expression was lower (P<0.05) in heifers whose meat was significantly tougher (P<0.05) than that of steers. Steer meat was slightly tougher than that of bulls, while steers had had a tendency to express higher levels of calpastatin but similar μ-calpain and calpain-3 mRNA. The LT had lower (P<0.05) WBSF values than the SM but these muscles tenderised at the same rate, and had similar mRNA levels for all investigated genes. M-calpain mRNA levels were not significantly affected by muscle and gender (P>0.05). Moreover, calpain 3 was negatively correlated to 7d WBSF values (P<0.05). Despite the small sample size, these results suggest that variations in beef tenderness could be modulated through the differential expression of the members of the calpain system, specifically, μ-calpain, calpain 3 and calpastatin.

KW - Beef cattle

KW - Calpain

KW - Calpastatin

KW - Gender

KW - Gene expression

KW - Meat quality

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DO - 10.1016/j.livsci.2016.01.020

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84958260776

SN - 1871-1413

VL - 185

SP - 123

EP - 130

JO - Livestock Science

JF - Livestock Science

ER -

The effects of gender and muscle type on the mRNA levels of the calpain proteolytic system and beef tenderness during post-mortem aging

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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