Variability of μ-Calpain and Calpastatin genes in cattle

Abstract

A preliminary analysis on the variability of μ-Calpain (CAPN1) and Calpastatin (CAST) genes in six cattle breeds was carried out, focusing the attention on CAPN1 g.5709C>G, CAPN1 g.6545C>T, and CAST g.282C>G SNPs, which have been suggested to affect beef tenderness in cattle. The results indicate that the two genes are polymorphic in all the analysed breeds, with significant between-breed differences. On the basis of their variability, only CAPN1 g.6545C>T and CAST g.282C>G SNPs seem appropriate to be considered as potential markers for beef tenderness.