FOR 753: Genetic-Functional Regulation of the Waterholding Capacity of Pig Meat

猪肉的持水量是一项复杂的数量性状，是决定猪肉屠宰后发育状况的关键技术质量参数。由于滴漏损失，在胴体或切口中会发生高重量损耗。WHC受基因型、肌肉结构和代谢、环境（生长、喂养）、动物屠宰前的处理以及死前和死后的胴体和肉类处理条件的影响。该研究单位专注于影响猪肉滴漏损失的基因组区域或基因的结构和功能鉴定。此外，我们希望进一步了解导致WHC变化的生理/病理生理机制。我们使用结构基因组学（5号和18号染色体上的drip -QTL精细定位）和功能基因组学（表型-滴水损失，ca2 +和能量代谢，肌肉纤维性状的蛋白质组和转录组谱-以及基因典型-滴水损失-发散肌肉的QTL和eQTL）方法来识别和验证候选基因。所有的研究都是在Duroc-Pietrain资源家族的背最长肌中完成的，该家族已经在100多个标记上进行了基因组扫描。利用这些表型/功能（滴漏损失，钙和能量代谢）和基因典型（QTL滴漏损失）不同的样品，进行蛋白质组（整体和差异）和转录组研究（全球和区域特异性微阵列，eQTL鉴定），以确定性状相关的候选蛋白质和基因。这些基因通过结构和功能分析进一步表征。所有获得的数据都被实现到一个基于xml的数据库系统中，并使用最新的生物信息学知识进行集中处理。我们的项目与来自肌肉生物学、肉类科学、生物化学、动物育种和生物信息学的合作伙伴合作，使功能遗传分析的跨学科方法得以集中，以揭示猪肉持水能力的遗传功能基础。这些基本知识将大大提高育种策略的肉质。

The water holding capacity (WHC) of pig meat is a complex quantitative trait and a crucial technological quality parameter indicating proper meat development after slaughter. Due to drip loss, high weight wastages occur in carcasses or cuts. WHC is influenced from the genotype, the muscle structure and metabolism, the environment (growth, feeding), the pre-slaughter handling of the animals and by the pre- and post mortal conditions of carcass and meat treatment. The Research Unit focusses on structural and functional identification of genome regions or genes, which influence drip loss in pork meat. Further, we want to get more insight into the physiological/pathophysiological mechanisms leading to the variation in WHC. We use structural genomic (fine mapping of DRIP-QTL on chromosome 5 and 18) and functional genomic (proteom and transcriptome profiles of phenotypically - drip loss, Ca 2+ and energy metabolism, muscle fiber traits - and genotypically - QTL and eQTL for drip loss - divergent muscles) approaches to identify and verify candidate genes. All the investigations are done in the musculus longissimus dorsi of a phenotypically fully characterised Duroc-Pietrain resource family, which has been genome scanned on more than 100 markers. With these phenotypically/functional (drip loss, calcium and energy metabolism) and genotypically (QTL drip loss) different samples, proteom (holistic and differential) and transcriptomstudies (global and regional specific microarrays, eQTL identification) are performed to identify trait associated candidate proteins and gene. These genes are further characterised by structural and functional analyses. All obtained data are implemented into a XML-based database system and centrally processed using up to date bioinformatic knowledge. Our programme with partners from muscle biology, meat science, biochemistry, animal breeding and bioinformatics enables a focussed interdisciplinary approach of functional genetic analyses to unravel the genetic functional basis of the water holding capacity of pig meat. This basic knowledge will add significantly to improve meat quality by breeding strategies.