How does temperature affect turkey breast development?

Researchers at Michigan State University plan to examine the effects of extreme temperatures on meat quality and turkey breast muscle development.

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shcherbak volodymy | iStockPhoto.com
shcherbak volodymy | iStockPhoto.com

Researchers at Michigan State University plan to examine the effects of extreme temperatures on meat quality and turkey breast muscle development.

“After poultry are hatched at a hatchery, they are shipped to the farms that will grow them. During this, they may be exposed to the elements and the temperature extremes may have an impact on the development of the muscles in the bird, particularly in the breast,” Gale Strasburg, professor in the Michigan State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, said.

“The project is really a basic science study that we think has very important applied outcomes. We’re interested in the efforts of extreme temperatures – both heat and cold – on the growth and development of newly hatched turkey.”

Satellite cells

The first part of this study will take place in cell culture using satellite cells.

“Satellite cells are essentially stem cells for new muscle tissue. They’re very active during the latter stages of embryonic development as well as the first week or so following hatch. As the source of new muscle tissue, their activity helps determine the fate of muscle in the adult bird,” Strasburg explained.

“In previous studies, we found that satellite cell development is very sensitive to changes in temperature. The way this manifests itself is through changes in the rate of proliferation and the rate they differentiate into actual muscle tissue.”

The researchers will be comparing the gene expression and metabolite levels present in the satellite cells of random bred and commercial turkeys that are exposed to hot or cold temperatures.

In a parallel study, newly hatched random bred and commercial turkeys will be placed in brooders of varying temperatures.

Real world applications

The researchers hope that the results of the study will provide informed recommendations for turkey breeders and growers.

“This is really a team effort. There are four principal investigators involved. I may be the project director, but none of us could do this research on our own without the help of our collaborators,” said Strasburg.

“We are of course very interested in learning more about the molecular mechanisms, but we also have an eye towards finding information that can be used in commercial applications to help them raise better quality meat more efficiently.”

The study will be funded with a three-year, five hundred-thousand-dollar grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

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