APPLICATION OF PROTEOMIC TOOLS: THE AUTOLYTIC CHANGES OF PORK MUSCULAR TISSUE

Eight protein substances that undergo changes during autolysis were found using the electrophoretic methods with the following mass spectrometric identification. The revealed protein substances have different origin: structural proteins (fragments of troponins T and myosin light chains), and metabolic proteins (creatine kinase, pyruvate kinase and alpha-enolase). The decomposition of the fractions of fast skeletal muscle troponin T in 28.0 kDa, 27 kDa and 26.5 kDa was most pronounced. Identification of constitutive proteins and detection of the products of post — mortem degradation of protein molecules make them suitable candidates for meat quality markers and the following study of these specific fragments will lead to better understanding of the proteolytic activities that take part in the post mortem muscle transformation into meat.