Search for proteomic biomarkers related to bovine pre-slaughter stress using liquid isoelectric focusing (OFFGEL) and mass spectrometry

Abstract

Proteome changes derived from animals that have suffered pre-slaughter stress are a fact. In this study, Proteomic analysis was carried out on 20 bovine loin samples from Asturiana de los Valles and crossbreds cattle previously classified as normal and DFD meat at 24 h post-mortem using pH measurements. Sarcoplasmic sub-proteome of Longissimus thoracis at 24 h post-mortem was fractionated by the use of liquid isoelectric focusing (OFFGEL) in the pH range 3–10, followed by SDS-PAGE analysis of each retrieved fraction. The protein fractionation profile showed high reproducibility along the different sample groups. Five protein bands showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between the two groups, allowing discrimination between them. Proteins present in these bands, which were identified by LC-MS, were actin, phosphoglucomutase-1, alpha-crystallin B, heat shock protein beta-6 and heat shock protein beta-1.