349 - Dietary Zinc and Ractopamine Elicit Changes in Gene Expression of Zinc Transporters in the Muscle of Finishing Beef Steers

Abstract: Twenty-four Angus cross steers (467 ± 13 kg) were used to assess the effects of supplemental Zn and ractopamine (RAC; Actogain, Zoetis) on muscle gene expression. Steers were housed in pens (6 steers/pen) with GrowSafe bunks and randomly assigned to treatments (6 steers/treatment) which included 0 (CON), 60 (LO), 120 (MED), or 180 (HI) mg supplemental Zn (Availa-Zn, Zinpro)/kg dry matter. Dietary Zn treatments were initiated on d 0 and RAC supplementation (300 mg/steer/d) began on d 53. Blood and muscle (longissimus thoracis) samples were collected from all steers on d -4, 48, and 67. Plasma Zn concentrations were determined via inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and muscle gene expression was determined via the Fluidigm Biomark HD system. Data were analyzed using ProcMixed of SAS (fixed effect = treatment; experimental unit = steer); treatments were compared using orthogonal linear and quadratic contrast statements. The LO treatment was removed from gene expression analyses due to poor reads. There was a tendency for a quadratic effect on d 48 and 67 plasma Zn (P = 0.10) where plasma was greater in Zn-supplemented animals than CON. Minimal effects of Zn supplementation were observed on muscle gene expression prior to the start of RAC. However, 14 d after the start of RAC, the expression of several genes involved in Zn storage and transport (MT1A, SLC39A7, SLC39A8, SLC39A9, SLC39A10, SLC39A13) linearly decreased with increasing Zn supplementation (P ≤ 0.08). These effects were mainly driven by an increase in gene expression for CON steers, suggesting RAC influences intracellular Zn trafficking or demand. Several of these transporters are located on organelles responsible for Zn-dependent processes like protein synthesis and metalation of enzymes. Therefore, increasing Zn supplementation prior to RAC feeding may support beta-agonist induced muscle growth in beef steers.