Abstract:

We herein describe a novel phenotype related to meat quality in Belgian blue cattle breed, named ‘tough and dry meat syndrome’. A genome-wide association study pinpointed a single significantly associated locus on chromosome 25, encompassing the ATP2A1 gene coding for the SERCA1 protein. A previous reverse genetic screen identified a breed-private missense mutation (R143W) in this gene. It segregates at high frequency (0.15) without deviation from expected genotypic proportions and was proven to be causative for this syndrome. The prevalence of the condition is estimated at 12.5% and its severity correlates with W143 allelic dosage. The mutation is partially dominant with a penetrance of 43 and 100% in R/W and W/W animals respectively. Retrospective examination of W143 frequency revealed a clear linear upward trend, likely due to the fact that the W143 variant has a positive effect on muscle mass. Direct selection against the mutation is underway.