Proliferation rates of bovine primary muscle cells relate to liveweight and carcase weight in cattle

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 15;10(4):e0124468. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124468. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Muscling in cattle is largely influenced by genetic background, ultimately affecting beef yield and is of major interest to the beef industry. This investigation aimed to determine whether primary skeletal muscle cells isolated from different breeds of cattle with a varying genetic potential for muscling differ in their myogenic proliferative capacity. Primary skeletal muscle cells were isolated and cultured from the Longissimus muscle (LM) of 6 month old Angus, Hereford and Wagyu X Angus cattle. Cells were assessed for rate of proliferation and gene expression of PAX7, MYOD, MYF5, and MYOG. Proliferation rates were found to differ between breeds of cattle whereby myoblasts from Angus cattle were found to proliferate at a greater rate than those of Hereford and Wagyu X Angus during early stages of growth (5-20 hours in culture) in vitro (P < 0.05). The proliferation rates of myoblasts during early stages of culture in vitro were also found to be positively related to the liveweight and carcase weight of cattle (P < 0.05). Gene expression of MYF5 was also found to be significantly down-regulated in WagyuX compared with Angus cattle (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that early events during myogenesis are important for determining liveweight and caracase weights in cattle.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Weight
  • Breeding
  • Cattle / genetics
  • Cattle / physiology*
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Male
  • Muscle Development*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / cytology*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / physiology
  • Myoblasts / cytology*
  • Myoblasts / metabolism
  • Myoblasts, Skeletal / cytology
  • Myoblasts, Skeletal / metabolism

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Technologies Australia Project Number: 1.1.3, Project Name: Biological validation and gene expression underpinning gene discovery (Proof of concept), Project Leader: Dr. Paul Greenwood; and Sub-Program 1.1 Full utilisation of genetic markers for improved beef quality, Start Date: 01/07/2005, End Date: 30/06/2012. Sponsors were involved in large scale coordination of cattle including management and finances in housing cattle up to slaughter date and coordination of cattle into abbattoirs for sample collection. The funders also financed laboratory reagents and labour for data analysis and preparation of the manuscript. This work was also supported in part by the Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support Program.