Adipose invasion of muscle in Wagyu cattle: Monitoring by histology and melting temperature

Remarkably, Wagyu cattle progressively desaturate intramuscular and subcutaneous fat leading to melting temperatures (Tm) well below 38 degrees C. In parallel, the adipose tissue expands, arborises and invades the muscle. The process is aggressive in that it leads to loss of myofibres resulting in much smaller fascicles and therefore fine marbling or snowflaking. The Microscopic score appears to be an excellent measure of marbling especially for lesser and greater degrees which are not quantified reliably by others methods. By comparing muscle groups, we conclude that the tailhead is a suitable site for sequential monitoring. Melting temperatures of intramuscular and subcutaneous tissue are also useful.