肌肉抑制素与“双肌”表型关系的研究进展

肌肉抑制素是特异性表达于骨骼肌的一种细胞因子,属于TGF-β超家族成员,可以抑制骨骼肌的发育,并同多种疾病有关。肌肉抑制素在不同物种间高度保守,其抑制功能的丧失可以导致骨骼肌显著增生,即动物产生"双肌"表型。具有"双肌"表型的动物则表现出肌肉产量显著增加、饲料转化率高、肌肉嫩度增加、脂肪含量少、而脂肪酸组成中不饱和脂肪酸比例显著增加等优秀性状,这些性状是动物育种计划中的理想育种目标。本文从"双肌"表型的起源及特点、肌肉抑制素的发现及功能等方面对肌肉抑制素与"双肌"表型关系的研究进展进行了综述。

Advances in the Relationship of Myostatin and Double-Muscling Phenotype

Myostatin, a member of the TGF-β superfamily, functions as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle development and growth. Myostatin is expressed almost exclusively in skeletal muscle and is involved in many human diseases. The sequence of myostatin is highly conserved across species, which suggests the conservation of its function. Mutations of myostatin may give rise to a significantly increase of skeletal muscle, which is also called a double-muscling phenotype. Animal with a double-muscling phenotype is characterized not only by hypertrophy of muscles, but also by less fat, increased tenderness and higher proportion of expensive cuts of meat. More over, those fats remaining tend to be polyunsaturated varieties. All of these characteristics conform strongly to current health standards, as well as accord with the goal of breeding program. In this paper, the research advances in the relationship between myostatin and double-muscling phenotype were reviewed.