Authors : Tsuyoshi Abe, Hiroyuki Hasebe, Toshiaki Okumura, Keigo Kuchida, Tadashi Kawamura and Eiji Kobayashi
Abstract: In this study, we searched for the mutations in Myostatin (MSTN) gene among the parental generation of our F2 population, consisted of Japanese Black and Limousin breeds, as the positional candidate gene of the QTL for several beef quality and quantity traits detected at the centromeric end of BTA2. Twenty single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected in MSTN gene and the one of them was nonsynonymous mutation, which cause amino acid substitution of phenylalanine to leucine at position 94 (F94L). The significant genotypic effects of F94L mutation for 5 carcass grading traits (carcass grade, M. longissimus area, BMS, luster and firmness), 3 meat quality traits (crude fat, crude protein and moisture of the M. longissimus) and 8 computer image analysis traits (M. longissimus area, M. longissimus lean area, Ratio of Fat Area (RFA) to M. longissimus area, RFA to M. semispinalis capitis area, M. semispinalis lean area, RFA to M. semispinalis area, M. trapezius lean area and RFA to M. trapezius area) were determined. Seventy five Japanese Black and 147 Holstein bull samples were then genotyped for assessing the frequency of F94L in the commercial population in Japan, but there observed no variation and fixed to phenylalanine homozygote in both 2 breeds. It was strongly suggested that F94L mutation of MSTN gene have an effect for beef quality and quantity traits, however, it seems almost impossible to apply the F94L information to the current breeding system of the Japanese Black breed.
Tsuyoshi Abe, Hiroyuki Hasebe, Toshiaki Okumura, Keigo Kuchida, Tadashi Kawamura and Eiji Kobayashi, 2009. Detection of DNA Polymorphisms in the MSTN Gene and the Effect of F94L on Meat Quantity and Quality Traits in Japanese Black x Limousin F2 Population. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 8: 1609-1615.