Effect of DL- Methionine Replacement with L- Methionine and Different Dietary Protein Levels on Myostatin Gene Expression in Japanese Quails

Myostatin also known as growth differentiation factor 8, is a protein produced and released by myocytes that acts on muscle cells' autocrine function to inhibit myogenesis: muscle cell growth and differentiation. This research had been done in order to assess the effect of DL-methionine replacement with L-methionine, and also the effects of varying dietary protein levels on Myostatin gene expression in Japanese quail.
 

This experiment was carried in the form of a 2×2 factorial with 4 treatment. Treatments contained the replacement of DL-methionine with L- methionine, and different dietary protein levels, were 24 and 20 %. After about 35 days of feeding and keeping the quails, a piece of their chest has been removed immediately and were transferred to the laboratory. Myostatin gene expression measured by using RT-qPCR technique. In this method, 𝜷-actin gene was used as a house-keeping gene to normalize the gene expression data in the quantitative real time PCR.
 

DL-methionine replacement did not significantly effect on Myostatin gene expression. Whereas, reduction in protein surface from 24% to 20 %, led to significantly increased expression of Myostatin (P<0.01).
 

The results indicated that DL methionine could be replaced with L methionine, and the appropriate level of protein was 24% in the Japanese quail diet.