Epigenome screen suggests DNA methylation may affect beef tenderness through signal transduction in Bos indicus

Beef tenderness is a complex trait of economic importance for the beef industry. Understanding the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying this trait may help improve the accuracy of breeding programs and deliver a better product quality to consumers. However, little is known about epigenetic effects in the muscle of Bos taurus and their implications in tenderness, and no studies have been conducted in Bos indicus. Therefore, we analyzed Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS) to search for differences in the methylation profile of Bos indicus skeletal muscle with extreme values for beef tenderness (tender = 6 animals, tough = 6 animals). Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). Six muscle of animal showing higher shear force values (lower tenderness) and six muscle of animals showing lower shear force values (higher tenderness).