Genes Involved in Lipid, Carbohydrate, and Protein Metabolism as Candidates Affecting Beef Flavor

Beef flavor is a trait difficult to evaluate since different senses (taste, touch, and smell) are involved in its perception. In the last 20 years, 102 Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs), associated with the variability of different beef flavor notes, have been reported. These QTLs are spread on all chromosomes, including BTA X. In these QTL regions, 2509 genes are located and, among them, 594 are involved in the metabolic processes of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, the main meat components for the production of volatile substances responsible for flavor. Only 19 of these genes (ACSM2B, ACSM3, ACSM4, ACSM5, CHID1, DHCR7, EDEM3, GDE1, HEXB, IGF2, INS, NDUFAB1, PIGC, PNPLA2, PRDX6, SCNN1B, SIAE, SMG1, and UMOD) are also present in the QTL regions affecting pork flavor. The applied approach allowed us to strongly restrict the number of candidate genes to affect the variability of both beef and pork flavor.