Meat phenomics: A novel concern linking meat across the whole chain

Abstract

Genetic and environmental factors jointly determine the biological characteristics of muscle and connective tissue. These measurable physical, chemical, and biological traits are, in fact, also the determinants of meat eating quality and serve as important references for the study in meat animal production from quantity to quality. Therefore, the integration of high-throughput and multi-dimensional meat quality parameters with clear biological foundations will provide excellent targets for consuming-oriented molecular breeding and precision husbandry research. Here, we introduce a novel concept, meat phenomics, to define this set of quantitative indicators with a well-defined genetic basis. These indicators encompass both external attributes, such as meat color and tenderness, and internal biomolecular qualities and quantities, including myoglobin and fatty acids. By clarifying the relationships between meat phenotypes and genotypes, it is convincing that meat phenomics should be recognized as an independent discipline to provide scientific and standardized data. This will promote the synergistic development of food science and animal husbandry to produce higher-quality meat. Benefiting from the extensive genetic and sample repositories of livestock and poultry, the functions of more gene structures and variants are anticipated to be elucidated in the future. By interpreting the interrelationships among gene polymorphisms, expression regulation, and phenotypes, meat phenomics can also provide valuable materials for broader life science investigations.