English

Hun Kang Jin,Choi Jong Soon,Jung Kwon Eun,Chun Park Hwa,Young Bang Woo,Hye Park Da,Seok Cho Eun,Young Park Beom,Ji Kim Min,Wook Kim Chul,Hwa Lee Yong

doi:10.5897/ajb10.704

Abstract

  An important factor in evaluating porcine meat quality is the pH at post-mortem 24 h (pH24). In the current work, we conducted a GeneFishing polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–based screen to identify differentially expressed genes in Berkshire loins with high versus low pH24. Total RNAs were extracted from Berkshire loins with high and low pH24 and subjected to GeneFishing PCR. Four genes were found to be differentially expressed in the high and low pH24 groups. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR confirmed that MYH1 encoding myosin heavy chain 1 was specifically expressed in high pH24 groups. These results are very useful in establishing the genetic relationship between the composition of muscle fiber type and pH24 in the Berkshire loin.   Key words: GeneFishingTM polymerase chain reaction, myosin heavy chain 1, pork meat quality, post-mortem pH value, pale, soft and exudative.

Highlights

Porcine meat quality is severely affected by a condition known as PSE, which stands for “pale, soft and exudative,” adjectives that describe the resultant poor quality of the meat
The circulatory failure caused by exsanguination after slaughter results in lack of the oxygen that is required for aerobic glycolysis, leading to an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) homeostatic imbalance in muscle tissues
Berkshire breeds are known to have excellent meat quality (Suzuki et al, 2003), and their loins were used to identify the differentially expressed gene (DEG) in the loins with high vs. low pH at post-mortem 24 h (pH24) values

Summary

Introduction

Porcine meat quality is severely affected by a condition known as PSE, which stands for “pale, soft and exudative,” adjectives that describe the resultant poor quality of the meat. We conducted a GeneFishing polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–based screen to identify differentially expressed genes in Berkshire loins with high versus low pH24.

Results

Conclusion