Heat and chemical stress modulate the expression of the alpha-RYR gene in broiler chickens.

The biological cause of Pork Stress syndrome, which leads to PSE (pale, soft, exudative) meat, is excessive release of Ca(2+) ions, which is promoted by a genetic mutation in the ryanodine receptors (RyR) located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of the skeletal muscle cells. We examined the relationship between the formation of PSE meat under halothane treatment and heat stress exposure in chicken alphaRYR hot spot fragments. Four test groups were compared: 1) birds slaughtered without any treatment, i.