Effect of Myostatin Gene Mutation on Slaughtering Performance and Meat Quality in Marchigiana Bulls

• Published in: Animals (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 4; p. 518
• Main Authors: Ceccobelli, Simone, Perini, Francesco, Trombetta, Maria Federica, Tavoletti, Stefano, Lasagna, Emiliano, Pasquini, Marina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 19-02-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Animals; Ashes; Beef; Beef cattle; Carcasses; Cattle; Chemical composition; Colorimetry; Conformation; Consumers; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; GDF8; Gene polymorphism; Genotyping; Heterozygotes; Homozygotes; Light effects; Loci; Meat; Meat industry; Meat quality; Muscles; Mutation; Myostatin; Point mutation; Polymorphism; productive performance; Slaughter; Statistical methods; Italy; St Louis Missouri; United States > US; Germany; productive performance; beef cattle; gene polymorphism; GDF8
• ISSN: 2076-2615; 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/ani12040518

The myostatin gene also called Growth Differentiation Factor 8 gene (
) is one of the most investigated
that can be responsible for several quantitative and qualitative carcass and meat traits in double-muscled beef cattle. The objective of the study was to bring to light the effect of the myostatin polymorphism on slaughtering performance and meat quality in Marchigiana beef cattle. The experiment was carried out on 78 bulls reared according to the "cow-calf" extensive managing system. At the end of the fattening period, in vivo and carcass data were recorded. From each carcass, a steak of
was taken and used to determine the meat's analytical composition and colorimetric properties. Finally, from each steak a sample of
was collected, then used for DNA extraction and genotyping at the myostatin locus. The heterozygous bulls showed slight superiority in the carcass data (e.g., hot carcass weight: 426.09 kg-heterozygotes vs. 405.32 kg-normal) and meat quality parameters, although not always with statistical significance. Only fat and ashes content were significantly affected by the myostatin genotype (heterozygotes: 2.01%, 1.26%; normal: 3.04%, 1.15%). The greater muscularity of heterozygous animals compared to normal ones could be a starting point to improving productive efficiency in Marchigiana beef cattle.