RN− gene affects
meat quality by increasing the glycogen content in the white muscles.
The RN− gene also decreases the meat protein content. The protein
content in M. semimembranosus of RN− carriers is around 21% vs.
22% in the muscle of non-carriers (Monin, Brard, Vernin, & Naveau,
1992). Similarly, Lundström et al. (1998) and Josell, von Seth, and
Tornberg (2003) have found that Hampshire crosses that are RN−
carriers, contain more water and less protein than non-carriers. In
the present study, the frequency of RN-gene was not studied in
Hampshire crosses, but in Hampshire crosses the muscle protein con-
tent was lower (pb0.05) than in the other studied crosses (Table 2).