Relationships of myosin heavy chain fibre types to meat quality traits in traditional and modern pigs

Porcine skeletal muscle fibres were molecularly classified, using in situ hybridisation and immunocytochemistry, into four types, according to the isoform of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) that was present in each fibre (MyHC slow/I, MyHC 2a, MyHC 2x and MyHC 2b). The relationship between MyHC fibre types and meat quality traits between two phenotypically divergent muscles [longissimus dorsi (LD) and psoas], and between the same muscles of different breeds (traditional Berkshire and Tamworth, and modern Duroc-based and Large White-based) were examined. We found that the greater abundance of fast oxidative-glycolytic MyHC 2a and 2x fibres in the psoas was associated with superior meat quality traits, and that the greater presence of fast glycolytic MyHC 2b fibres in the LD could account for less favourable quality traits, both in terms of pH, drip loss, grain, colour, yield force and work done. Although significant correlations were found between specific fibre types and quality traits, within either the psoas or LD muscle of some breeds, no consistent correlation was found across both muscles and all breeds. This finding was in line with the view that a given fibre type could have considerable differences in phenotype between breeds, and between muscles. The observed inverse compositional and functional-meat quality relationship between MyHC 2b and 2x fibres, and MyHC 2b and 2a fibres could form a basis of fibre type manipulation to improve meat quality.