Genetic architecture of collagen characteristics in beef

The primary protein in intramuscular connective tissue is collagen, which requires prolonged cooking times to be solubilized. The objectives of this preliminary study were to estimate genetic parameters and identify genomic regions associated with unaged, aged, and total collagen, Ehrlich chromogen, and pyridinoline in beef cattle. Bayesian analyses with Gibbs sampling were implemented using BLUPF90 programs. Heritability ranged from 0.14 ± 0.12 to 0.59 ± 0.21 for unaged and aged collagen, respectively. A total of 28, 21, 22, 23, and 29 SNP windows explained more than 0.5% of the additive genetic variance for unaged, aged, and total collagen, and Ehrlich chromogen and pyridinoline, respectively. Functional analysis was performed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. Genes within SNP windows were related to cell proliferation and growth, especially of tumour cells. The MTUS1 gene was found within an SNP window associated with pyridinoline, which has a direct path to the synthesis of type I collagen, the main collagen type found in meat. The results of this preliminary study may contribute to a better understanding of the genetic architecture of collagen traits in beef cattle. However, a validation study with a larger population size is essential to confirm our findings.