Histological and Biochemical Changes of Muscle Collagen during Chilled Storage of the Kuruma Prawn Penaeus japonicus

Histological and biochemical changes of collagen in the kuruma prawn Penaeus japonicus muscle during chilled storage were examined. In histological experiments, a partial disintegration of thin connective tissues, endomysium and perimysium, where a specific α component, α2 (AR-I), mainly distributed, was observed in the prawn muscle stored for 24h at 5°C, while the structure of the thick connective tissue, epimysium, did not so changed. On the other hand, a preferentialdecrease in the relative staining intensity of the components reactive for the anti-α2 (AR-I) component serum was detected by immunoblot analysis of guanidine hydrochloride-soluble collagen from the muscle stored for 24h at 5°C, while the α1 (AR-I) component or Type AR-II collagen did not so affected. These combined results suggest that the disintegration of the thin connective tissues is due to some biochemical changes of α2 (AR-I)-related components.