Case Studies from Macedonia about the application of Molecular Methods in Determination and Prediction of Quality in Animal Production

Abstract

Molecular methods became powerful tools in the analysis of animal products quality using protein and nucleic acid based techniques. The Department for Biochemistry and Genetic Engineering as a part of the Animal Biotechnology Institute as part of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences in Skopje - Macedonia is a state stakeholder in the development of modern approaches to food quality control. In this respect, special focus is placed on a marker assisted selection related to genes that are affecting the quality and processing traits of animal products, determination of animal products origin, GMO detection in processed animal products and gene expression in different branches of livestock production. The analyses related to those applications are performed at protein, RNA and DNA levels. Marker assisted selection is systematically applied in cattle breeding using -casein as a crucial factor for milk processing traits and in swine breeding using the RYR-1 gene whose mutation is the cause for appearance of pale, soft and exudative meat. The identification of meat and dairy products origins was done using protein profiling. Gene expression in muscle growth development was done by analyzing different growth factors and inhibitors at RNA level. Most of the RNA/DNA analyses are PCR based, while protein analyses were done using different electrophoretic techniques. Marker genes were mostly characterized with Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLP). Muscle growth development was investigated by determination of RNA/DNA ratio and Reverse transcription PCR analysis of different genes involved in production of muscle mass. The detection of GM ingredients in animal products was performed using duplex PCR. More than 2.000 samples with animal origin were analyzed as part of this study.