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Effects of polymorphisms in CAPN1 and CAST genes on meat tenderness of Chinese Simmental cattle

Abstract Considerable evidence has demonstrated that the μ-calpain (CAPN1) gene and its inhibitor calpastatin (CAST) gene are major factors affecting meat quality. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) has been widely used to improve beef quality traits. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of bovine CAPN1 and CAST genes using 367 animals representing the four main Chinese cattle breeds and to explore the effects of these SNPs on meat quality traits. Two SNPs within CAPN1 and one SNP in CAST were successfully identified in cattle. Genetic diversity analyses suggested that most SNPs in the four breeds exhibited a moderate genetic diversity. Moreover, associations between individual markers and meat quality traits were analyzed in Chinese Simmental cattle. The CAPN1 4558 A > G locus was found to be significantly associated with shear force value (SFV) and marbling score (BMS), and CAPN1 4684 C > T exerted a significant effect on SFV, while the CAST genotype was not significantly associated with any of the measured traits. SFV, commonly used to measure meat tenderness, represents an important quality trait as it contributes to the flavor of cooked meat. This work confirms the effect of CAPN1 on beef tenderness and lays an important foundation for future cattle breeding.