We investigated single nucleotide polymorphisms of four genes (calpain (CAPN-9 and CAPN-14), calpastatin -CAST, diacylglycerol acyltransferase -DGAT, and leptin -LEP) that are related to beef quality, and we examined changes in the synthesis of proteins that they encode in Nellore cattle. Samples from 95 adult males of commercial origin were analyzed. Genomic DNA was extracted from the longissimus dorsi (sirloin) muscle tissue, identified with PCR-single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis. For each different pattern identified, the products were sent for sequencing and analyzed using sequence scanner software. The data were analyzed by determining the absolute and relative frequencies of the polymorphisms identified in each gene. For the CAPN-9 gene, sequencing showed five polymorphisms (G/A, T/A, T/C, T/C, and A/G), of which two involved amino acid substitutions (c.5861G>A and c.5498A>G). Sequencing of the CAPN-14 gene revealed four polymorphisms (A/C, G/A, T/C, and C/G), with two involving amino acid substitutions (c.11054 T>C ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 21 (2): gmr18983 C.E. Couto et al. 2 and c.11161C>G). Sequencing of the CAST-5 gene revealed five polymorphisms (C/T, T/C, C/A, C/A, and G/T), four of which involved amino acid substitutions (c.29919C>T, c.29963A>C, c.29978C>A, and c.30019G>T). Sequencing of the DGAT gene revealed six polymorphisms