Search

Hsp27-encoded by HspB1- is a member of the small heat shock proteins (sHsp, 12-43 kDa (kilodalton)) family. This protein is constitutively present in a wide variety of tissues and in many cell lines. The abundance of Hsp27 is highest in skeletal muscle, indicating a crucial role for muscle physiology. The protein identified as a beef tenderness biomarker was found at a crucial hub in a functional network involved in beef tenderness. The aim of this study was to analyze the proteins impacted by the targeted invalidation of HspB1 in the Tibialis anterior muscle of the mouse . Comparative proteomics using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed 22 spots that were differentially abundant between HspB1 -null mice and their controls that could be identified by mass spectrometry. Eighteen spots were more abundant in the muscle of the mutant mice, and four were less abundant. The proteins impacted by the absence of Hsp27 belonged mainly to calcium homeostasis (Srl and Calsq1), contraction (TnnT3), energy metabolism (Tpi1, Mdh1, PdhB, Ckm, Pygm, ApoA1) and the Hsp proteins family (HspA9). These data suggest a crucial role for these proteins in meat tenderization. The information gained by this study could also be helpful to predict the side effects of Hsp27 depletion in muscle development and pathologies linked to small Hsps.

One of the most noticeable effects of aging is the reduction in skeletal muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia). The metabolic syndrome (MS) is also prevalent in old subjects, but its relevance to skeletal muscle characteristics has poorly been investigated. Immunohistochemical studies were performed with muscle biopsies from young (22 years) and old (73 years) men with and without MS to reveal age-dependent and MS-associated modifications of fiber-type characteristics. Atrophy of type II fibers and altered fiber shape characterized muscle aging in lean healthy men. In contrast, increased cross-sectional area of the most abundant type I and type IIA fibers, and reduced cytochrome c oxidase content in all fiber types, characterized MS. Aging and particularly MS were associated with accumulation of intramyocellular lipid droplets. Although lipids mostly accumulated in type I fibers, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging of intramyocellular lipids did not distinguish fiber types, but clearly separated young, old, and MS subjects. In conclusion, our study suggests that MS in the elderly persons is associated with alterations in skeletal muscle at a fiber-type specific level. Overall, these fiber type-specific modifications may be important both for the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength and for the increased prevalence of MS in elderly subjects., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

In this short communication we describe a specific protocol for SDS-PAGE separation of adult bovine myosin heavy-chain (MyHC) isoforms. The conditions defined in this protocol allow a good separation with a good reproducibility of the four MyHC isoforms (MyHC I, IIa, IIx, IIb) identified in adult skeletal muscle of this species. This procedure uses mini-gel electrophoresis system and does not involve preparation of gradient separating gels. In addition, this protocol can also be applied to the electrophoretic separation of ovine and camel MyHC isoforms., (Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

In agricultural sciences, proteomics has become the new hope for analyzing the meat quality traits that are closely related to the skeletal muscle traits. 2-DE muscle maps of many species have been recently reported and used to find molecular markers of meat quality traits. However, one limitation of 2-DE based analyses is due to the limited alkaline protein separation. Considering this problem, there is a need to use recent advances that have markedly improved the 2-DE based analysis of alkaline proteins. Hence, the present study provides additional information concerning the alkaline proteome of bovine skeletal muscle by using an appropriate protocol to characterize proteins over the entire range of pH 7-11. A total of 32 distinct gene products corresponding to 60 protein spots were identified by PMF and grouped in seven categories according to their main function. This 2-D map will contribute to muscle proteome studies since a significant portion of proteins is in the alkaline pH range.

This study concerns the definition of the optimum conditions for separation of adult and developmental myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms in bovine muscle. The various techniques published do not result in good separation of the MHC in this species. The trials carried out concerned the concentration of acrylamide and N, N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide, and more particularly the concentration of Tris in the separating gel. The finding was that analysis of adult isoforms and developmental isoforms require different conditions. A acrylamide gradient of 3.5-10% with 200 mM Tris pH 8.8 gives good resolution for adult isoforms. Under these conditions 3 fast adult isoforms are revealed. However, study of MHC isoforms throughout foetal life in bovines is complex, and requires the combined use of more than one gel (gradient 3.5-10% at 200 mM Tris and gradient 3.5-10% at 250 mM Tris).

The pattern of expression of different types of myosin and the development of different muscle cell populations were studied in the semitendinosus muscle of cattle from 39 d of gestation to 30 d of post-natal life. Monoclonal antibodies specific to different myosin heavy chains were used. Two cell generations were identified during myogenesis. They appeared successively and were characterized by different patterns of expression of myosins. The first population, which was present from the first stage studied (39 d of gestation), gave rise to type I fibers, which, in the mature animal, express only slow myosin. A second generation became differentiated at about 120 d of fetal life and then developed into type II fibers (IIa, IIb or IIc). The beginning of differentiation was characterized in all the cell populations by the expression of specific types of embryonic or fetal myosins. A comparison of these results with findings from previous works shows a marked similarity between species in the pattern of myogenesis but great differences in the length of the different stages of development. In this respect, myogenesis in cattle closely resembles that in man.