Meat proteolysis by pepsin highlighted by maldi imaging mass spectrometry

Abstract

The aim of this study was to highlight the in situ hydrolysis of proteins to peptides on a muscle tissue section. In this context, a bovine muscle was incubated in a pepsin solution, cryofixed and sectioned. MALDI (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization) Mass spectrometry imaging was used to obtain the ionic map of proteins directly on the muscle section. This method allowed us to localize the appearance and disappearance of proteins or fragments of proteins. The results give new insights into the mechanisms of enzyme action within muscle structure.