Skeletal Ryanodine Receptor 1-Heterozygous PSE (Pale, Soft and Exudative) Meat Contains a Higher Concentration of Myoglobin than Genetically Normal PSE Meat in Pigs

Comparisons of properties between skeletal ryanodine receptor 1 (sRyR1)-heterozygous-mutated and normal types of meat were carried out in pigs using PSE (pale, soft and exudative) meat found during the butchering process. All samples considered to be PSE meat showed irregular running and disorder of the muscle fibers and a wider inter-fiber space upon light microscopic observation. Electron microscopy revealed disintegration, twisting, and disorder of the myofibril arrangement and elimination of the Z line in PSE meat, compared with normal meat. Meat property tests demonstrated greater decreases in water holding capacity, moisture and sarcoplasmic protein, and higher $L^*$ values for the meat color index in PSE meat than in normal meat, but there were no differences in these factors between genetically normal and sRyR1-heterozygous PSE meat. On the other hand, higher $a^*$ and $b^*$ values were observed in sRyR1-heterozygous than in normal PSE meat, and similar alterations to the a* value were observed in terms of the amount of myoglobin and density of the 17-kDa protein band, corresponding to the molecular mass of myoglobin, on SDS-PAGE gels. These results suggest that sRyR1-heterozygous PSE pork contains much more myoglobin than genetically normal PSE meat.