Protein kinetics in callipyge lambs

The objectives for this experiment were to determine the effect of the call ipyge phenotype on protein kinetics. We studied callipyge and normal lambs (n = 37) at 5, 8, and 11 wk of age (n = 4 to 7/group) to determine how prot ein kinetics are altered by this trait. Total protein, DNA, and RNA and cal pastatin activity were measured in five skeletal muscles and in the heart, kidneys, and liver, and protein accretion rates were calculated. At 8 wk, t he fractional synthesis rates of proteins in these tissues were measured in vivo using a primed, continuous 8-h infusion of [H-2(5)]-phenylalanine. Fr actional rates of protein degradation were estimated by differences. At 5 w k of age, muscle weights, protein mass, protein:DNA, RNA:DNA, and calpastat in activity were higher (P < .05) for callipyge, and protein mass differenc es continued to increase through 11 wk. At 8 wk, fractional rates of protei n synthesis and degradation were lower (P < .05) in callipyge than in norma l lambs. The organs of callipyge lambs exhibited reduced growth at 11 wk. T hus, enhanced muscle growth seems to be maintained in callipyge lambs by re duced protein degradation rather than increased protein synthesis. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the initial onset of the callipyge condition may be caused by an increase in the fractional rate of protein sy nthesis.