Abstract

Wooden Breast (WB) and White Striping (WS) are prevalent myopathies affecting the Pectoralis major (PM) muscle of modern broiler chickens, with significant implications for animal welfare and meat quality. This pilot study aimed to characterize proteomic alterations associated with increasing severity of WB and WS in the PM of Hubbard × Ross 708 broilers. Muscle samples (n = 12) were previously categorized into four severity ranks based on established macroscopic criteria. Presently, proteins were extracted and analyzed using LC-MS/MS-based shotgun proteomics. Statistical comparisons between groups were performed using Generalized Linear Models. Fibronectin 1, fibrinogen alpha chain, musculoskeletal embryonic nuclear protein 1, glutathione S-transferase 2, calsequestrin-2, and endoplasmin emerged as potential biological markers and their prospective roles in the pathogenesis of these myopathies are discussed. Our findings suggest a progressive alteration of the muscle proteome with increasing disease severity, highlighting pathways related to muscle structure, metabolism, and stress response. These results aid in providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying WB and WS and may inform future research on genetic and management strategies. As a pilot study, these findings warrant further investigation in larger cohorts and different commercial lines.

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