Home > Science Seminar > Fall 2004 Seminar Schedule > Meat Tenderness

The Science Seminar Series: October 21, 2004

Evaluating Six Positional Candidate Genes for Effects on Meat Tenderness

Dr. Gary Hansen
Assistant Professor and Beef Extension Specialist
North Florida Research and Educational Center
University of Florida
Marianna, FL

Place: Powell Hall
Time: 4:00 -5:00pm



Meat tenderness is of major importance to beef producers, processors, retailers and consumers with complaints about product inconsistency being among the top factors affecting beef consumption. Better understanding of the genetics behind meat tenderness in beef will give producers the tools to deliver a consistent product that better meets market requirements. The entire genome of cattle had been scanned to identify regions that may harbor meat tenderness genes and in this present study we undertook the evaluation of six positional candidate genes. Two measures called Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and overall tenderness (OTEND) were used to assess meat tenderness in this study. The candidate genes were selected from a library of bovine genes using an alignment of the human and bovine comparative map. Four genes, MMP19, WIF1, WNT1, WNT10B, and two genes, MYF5 and MYF6, were selected as candidate genes for WBSF and OTEND respectively. Our analysis showed that a genetic marker linked to MYF5 and MYF6 genes for OTEND was present in half-sib families indicating that MYF5 and MYF6 are strong candidates for OTEND on bovine chromosome 5 (BTA5). The MYF4 gene was mapped to bovine BTA16 giving further support to a relationship between the MYF family of genes and OTEND. Preliminary data was obtained for gene expression of MYF6 between esophagus, heart and neck muscle tissues collected shortly after slaughter. Fluorimetry and densitometry results failed to confirm that differential gene expression of MYF6 is taking place between tender meat and less tender meat. Further studies to evaluate more mutations in these genes may help resolve what if any roles these genes play in beef meat tenderness.