Regulation of the Growth of Poultry Skeletal Muscle

The long-term research goals in Drs. Velleman’s and McFarland’s laboratories are to improve the efficiency and the rates of muscle (meat) accretion in poultry and to identify the biochemical parameters that might improve selection criteria of poultry. The Midwest Poultry Research Program has identified “growth and body composition” including muscling as a priority research focus. The major focus of Drs. Velleman’s and McFarland’s research programs is to elucidate the biological mechanisms which regulate the growth of skeletal muscle in poultry and provide the information so it can be transferred to the poultry industry. Drs. Velleman and McFarland interact with the Ohio and South Dakota Poultry Associations as well as major poultry companies including Cobb-Vantress, Maple Leaf Ducks, and Aviagen to help transfer their research results to the industry. Major factors influencing the growth of muscle are the extrinsic environment surround muscle cells, the extracellular matrix (ECM) (Dr. Velleman’s research emphasis), and polypeptide growth factors (Dr. McFarland’s research emphasis). It has become increasingly clear that these two components of growth are intimately tied together and each interacts with and regulates the activity of the other. These findings have contributed to the development of a very productive collaborative relationship between Drs. Velleman and McFarland for the past 18 years and have resulted in many papers published in referred journals.