Methods in Animal Proteomics

¶ … Animal Proteomics

Proteomics is the study of proteins, and focuses on the role that proteins play in the organism, including how those proteins are structured. Animal proteomics focuses on proteins in animals. It is a very interesting component of reproductive biology because proteins can be modified in various organisms through genetic manipulation. In fact, the term proteomics reflects the combination of protein and genomes and demonstrates that proteins are subject to genetic modification. Some of these modifications may be accidental; stress and time can lead to changes in protein structure and function. However, many of these modifications are an intentional part of modern animal husbandry, where genetic manipulation and reproductive biology techniques are frequently more responsible for the creation of new animals than actual sexual reproduction. Understanding animal proteomics helps further the modern agricultural industry, which relies upon mass production of animal meat in a tightly controlled environment. Proteomics is particularly important when looking at the development of meat, the desired product of factory farming, because meat amount and quality is directly linked to protein structure. However, it is important to understand that practical genetic research will provide insight into human health conditions, not simply provide agricultural applications.

Picard et al. specifically studied proteomics as a means of understanding meat production in the agricultural environment. Proteomics is able to provide a significant amount of information about skeletal muscle, which forms the majority of the meat consumed by human beings. By studying changes in protein profiles during myogenesis in cattle, pigs and fowl across different ontogenetic stages, the researchers were able to better understand the key stages of myogenesis and identify processes that were similar or divergent between species (2010). In particular, they focused on the genetic variability of muscle properties, which they were able to analyze by studying hypertrophied cattle and sheep (Picard et al., 2010). Furthermore, they looked for and discovered biological markers of meat quality, for example, the existence of a biological marker for tenderness (Picard et al., 2010). They were able to determine that marker in cattle, pigs and fowl (Picard et al., 2010). In fact, they found that protein modifications during the aging process helped explain why older animals generally yield tougher meat than younger animals (Picard et al., 2010). Furthermore, they looked out how proteins react to the stress of slaughter, because of the long-held belief that the slaughter process can impact meat quality (Picard et al., 2010).