Quantification of myosin heavy chain isoform in porcine muscle using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

The objective of this study was to develop an indirect enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) to quantify the relative abundance of the myosin heav y chain (MyHC) isoforms in porcine muscle. Longissimus muscle samples were taken from halothane positive (HAL +) and negative (HAL-) pigs and subjecte d to ELISA using newly generated and commercially available myosin monclona l antibodies (mAbs). Muscle of HAL + pigs possessed less type I (P < 0.1) a nd IIA (P < 0.1), and more type IIB MyHC (P < 0.01) than muscle of HAL- pig s. Abundance of IIX MyHC content was negatively correlated (P < 0.0001) to the amount of IIB MyHC in porcine muscle. These data show indirect ELISA ca n be used to detect genotype differences in muscle MyHC content, and it pro vides a rapid, sensitive method for determining muscle fiber type in porcin e skeletal muscle. Furthermore, these data suggest that the proportion of g lycolytic muscle fibers increases at the expense of oxidative fibers. (C) 2 000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.