Proteome changes on water-holding capacity of yak longissimus lumborum during postmortem aging

To study differentially expressed proteins on water-holding capacity (WHC) during postmortem aging of longissimus lumborum muscle, samples were classified according to drip loss into high and low drip loss groups. Fifty-five proteins were differentially abundant at days 0, 1 and 7 during postmortem aging and identified by MALDI TOF/TOF. The identified proteins can be divided into four main categories: metabolic enzymes, cell structural proteins, stress related proteins and transport proteins. Myosin light chain, heat shock protein 27 and triosephosphate isomerase showed a major difference between the two groups and may have the potential to be biological markers for WHC prediction. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis revealed that the identified proteins were related to carbon metabolism, glycolysis and biosynthesis of amino acids and pyruvate metabolism. The functions of the identified proteins contribute to a more detailed molecular view of the processes behind WHC and are a valuable resource for future investigations.