The effects of post-harvest storage temperatures and times on proteoly
sis of Pacific whiting (Merluccius productus) and relationship to chan
ges in protein solubility were evaluated. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) deg
raded rapidly post-harvest storage at low temperatures (0-5 degrees C)
. Greater degradation of MHC occurred at elevated temperatures. Actin
degradation was similar to that of MHC but to a lesser degree. Both lo
g-percent MHC and actin degradation were highly correlated (R(2) = 0.8
8 and 0.74) to protein solubility. Degraded proteins were not complete
ly removed by washing, resulting in a lower MHC content in washed minc
e.