Identification of candidate proteins regulated by long-term caloric restriction and feed efficiency in longissimus dorsi muscle in Korean native steer

We aimed to investigate candidate proteins related to long-term caloric restriction and feed efficiency in bovine longissimus dorsi muscle (LM). A total of 31 Korean native steers were randomly distributed to ad libitum (n = 16) or caloric restriction group (n = 15) to conduct two feeding trials for 13 mon. In the first trial (10–18 mon of age), steers were fed with 100% ad libitum (NE(g) = 0.63 Mcal/kg) or caloric restriction (80% of the previous day’s feed intake of ad libitum group). In the second trial (18–23 mon of age), the energy value of 100% ad libitum diet was 1.13 Mcal/kg NE(g) and those in caloric restriction group diet was 0.72 Mcal/kg NE(g). At the endpoint of this experiment, in each group, 6 animals were selected with high (n = 3) or low feed efficiency (n = 3) to collect muscle tissue samples (6 animals/group). From muscle tissues of 23 mo of age, we excavated 9 and 12 differentially expressed (two-fold or more) proteins in a nutritional group and feed efficiency group using two-dimensional electrophoresis, respectively. Of these proteins, heat shock protein beta-6 was up-regulated in both the caloric restriction and the low feed efficiency group. In bovine embryonic fibroblasts, the mRNA expression of heat shock protein beta-6 increased after adipogenic differentiation, however, decreased after myogenic differentiation. Our data provide that heat shock protein beta-6 may be an adipogenic protein involved in the mechanism of caloric restriction and feed efficiency in the LM of the steer.