Muscle fractional protein synthesis is higher in Iberian than in landrace growing pigs fed adequate or lysine-deficient diets

Protein deposition in Iberian pigs is low and the reasons for this are unknown. We investigated differences in protein synthesis rate in tissues of 30 Iberian and Landrace gilts fed 2 diets with adequate amino acid composition containing 160 or 120 g crude protein (CP)/kg, or a lysine-deficient diet (containing 120 or 160 g CP/kg for Iberian and Landrace pigs, respectively). Pigs were infused with a flooding dose of phenylalanine (15% as [H-2(5)]-phenylalanine). Blood samples were taken from 12 to 40 min after the start of infusion, and samples from longissimus dorsi (Id), biceps femoris (bf), and sernimembranosus (sm) muscles, liver, and duodenum were taken after slaughter. Body weights (BW) were 22.9 +/- 0.37 and 27.1 +/- 0.64 kg for Iberian and Landrace pigs, respectively. Iberian pigs fed the adequate diets had higher muscle fractional protein synthesis rates (FSR, %/d) than Landrace pigs. The FSR were 7.9 -/+ 0.34 vs. 6.3 +/- 0.29%/d; 8.3 +/- 0.36 vs. 6.3 +/- 0.21 %/d, and 7.7 +/- 0.23 vs. 6.4 +/- 0.36%/d for Id, bf, and sm muscles in Iberian and Landrace breeds, respectively (P < 0.01). However, muscles were between 20 and 32% smaller in the Iberian pigs (P < 0.01). Dietary protein level did not affect muscle FSR or size in either breed. Lysine deficiency reduced muscle FSR (46-49%, P < 0.001). Visceral tissues had greater relative weights in Iberian pigs (P < 0.001) with no breed differences in FSR. These findings might explain the low efficiency of protein and energy utilization by Iberian pigs compared with conventional pig breeds.