Characterization of a pig skeletal muscle microarray to study pork quality: the GenmascqChip 15K

Abstract

AbstractPork quality is highly variable and availability of relevant predictors of fresh meat quality at slaughter is critical to optimize carcass use and improve its valuation. High throughput gene expression studies have been widely used to describe biological mechanisms underlying variation of several traits but data are scarce regarding their use as tools for development of biomarkers. The GENMASCQ (GENomics enabled Marker Assisted Selection and Certification of Quality in Pork products ) research program was set up to select, using high-throughput gene expression screening, markers of the biological variation mostly appropriate to describe, and ultimately forecast, the sensory quality of an important meat product, accounting for nearly 40 % of meat protein sources in human food. This report describes the characterization of a porcine skeletal muscle microarray, the GenmascqChip 15K, as a new tool to study pig meat quality. This microarray is annotated at nearly 90 % and permits to explore a list of 9169 unique genes.