Genetic variability of foetal bovine myoblasts in primary culture

Selected strains of adult bovines and those which either have high muscle growth capacity or are double-muscled present particular characteristics of muscle fibres and collagen at slaughter that favour meat tenderness. For double-muscled bovines, it has been shown that these characteristics originated during foetal life. However, no studies have been done to determine the origin of muscle growth superiority in bovine with high muscle growth capacity compared to those with a low muscle growth capacity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the proliferation and differentiation phases of myoblasts in primary culture taken from high and low muscle growth capacity foetuses at 110 days post-conception. These cultures were analysed on 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 days of culture. The proliferation phase was monitored by appropriate marker antibodies. The differentiation was studied by immunocytochemistry with specific antibodies for foetal, I, II (IIa and IIb), I and IIb, I and IIa myosin heavy chains (MHCs) and connectin respectively, and by immunoblotting with desmin antibody. A higher proliferation, a lower fusion and a delayed differentiation of the 'late markers' namely MHCs fast (IIa and IIb) and connectin were shown in high muscle growth capacity foetuses compared to low capacity ones. The results indicate that the muscle growth superiority of high muscle growth capacity bovines seems, therefore, to have a similar foetal origin to that of double-muscled ones.