Biological markers for meat tenderness of the three main French beef breeds using 2-DE and MS approach
Résumé
In order to identify new markers of beef tenderness, a proteomic analysis was performed on Longissimus thoracis muscle to compare two extreme groups in terms of meat tenderness, consisting of 10 animals each of the three main French beef breeds: Blond d’Aquitaine, Charolais, and Limousin. Animals were grouped on the basis of an index combining a tenderness score estimated by a trained panel and mechanical shear force measurement (Warner-Bratzler). The large number of available experimental animals (more than 3,300 young bulls) allowed animals with different meat tenderness but similar main muscle characteristics (fibers, collagen, and lipids) to be chosen. The muscle proteins of the extreme groups considered 24 h after slaughter were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis, statistical analysis, and mass spectrometry. Potential markers of tenderness were suggested for each breed; their marker status varied according to the breed. Only α actin appeared to be a potential marker of tenderness in the three studied breeds. We focused particularly on different abundances of HSP27 and Troponin T fast isoforms between tenderness groups and according to breed.