The wooden breast (WB) has been classically identified by the phenotypic presence of a wood-like pectoralis major (p. major) muscle. The WB-affected p. major muscle is characterized by necrotic muscle fibers and the replacement of muscle with connective tissue, water, and fat. The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of the WB myopathy on sarcomere organization by transmission electron microscopy. Sarcomere structure and organization were examined in two broiler lines with a high incidence of WB (Lines A and B) and another broiler line without WB (Line C). Affected muscle had an increase in smaller myofibers with diameters of 20 μm or less. Sarcomere organization decreased with fiber diameter in both Lines A and B. The structure and organization of sarcomeres in Line C were similar to WB-unaffected muscle in Lines A and B. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the WB myopathy detrimentally affects sarcomere organization in a broiler line-specific manner. Disorganization of sarcomere structure will affect the function of the p. major muscle as well as meat quality.
Keywords: broiler; muscle regeneration; pectoralis major muscle; sarcomere; wooden breast.