Expression of porcine myosin heavy chain 1 gene in Berkshire loins with a high pH²⁴ value

Abstract

An important factor in evaluating porcine meat quality is the pH at post-mortem 24 h (pH²⁴). In the current work, we conducted a GeneFishing polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–based screen to identify differentially expressed genes in Berkshire loins with high versus low pH²⁴. Total RNAs were extracted from Berkshire loins with high and low pH²⁴ and subjected to GeneFishing PCR. Four genes were found to be differentially expressed in the high and low pH²⁴ groups. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR confirmed that MYH1 encoding myosin heavy chain 1 was specifically expressed in high pH²⁴ groups. These results are very useful in establishing the genetic relationship between the composition of muscle fiber type and pH²⁴ in the Berkshire loin.

Key words: GeneFishing^TM polymerase chain reaction, myosin heavy chain 1, pork meat quality, post-mortem pH value, pale, soft and exudative.