Relationship between kinase phosphorylation, muscle fiber typing, and glycogen accumulation in longissimus muscle of beef cattle with high and low intramuscular fat.

The objective of this study was to examine the association of adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) with glycogen content in bovine muscle and their links with intramuscular fat (IMF) and muscle fiber type composition. Five steers with high intramuscular fat (High IMF, IMF content is 5.71 +/- 0.36%) and five steers with low intramuscular fat (Low IMF, IMF content is 2.09 +/- 0.19%) in the longissimus thoracis muscle (LM) were selected for immunoblotting, glycogen, and myofiber type composition analyses. The glycogen content was higher in Low IMF muscle than in High IMF muscle (1.07 +/- 0.07 versus 0.85 +/- 0.08 g/100 g muscle, P < 0.05). Phosphorylation of the AMPK alpha subunit at Thr 172, which is correlated with its activity, was lower (P < 0.05) in High IMF compared to Low IMF. In agreement with the lower AMPK phosphorylation in High IMF muscle, the phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) was also lower (P < 0.05) in High IMF muscle than in Low IMF muscle. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) down-regulates glycogen synthesis through phosphorylation of glycogen synthase. The phosphorylation of GSK3 in High IMF was lower (P < 0.05) than that in Low IMF, which should down-regulate glycogen synthase activity and reduce the glycogen content in High IMF beef. Type IIB myosin isoform was absent in beef muscle. No noticeable difference in myosin isoform composition was observed between Low and High IMF muscle. In summary, High IMF cattle had lower LM glycogen levels than low IMF cattle, and AMPK activity was less in High IMF than in Low IMF cattle. The difference in glycogen content between Low and High IMF muscle was not correlated with muscle fiber composition. This data shows that LM lipid and glycogen metabolisms are affected by AMPK activity. Thus, AMPK may be a molecular target to alter IMF and glycogen levels in beef muscle.