College of Animal Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Sep 21;25(18):10132. doi: 10.3390/ijms251810132.
The differences in muscle development potential between male and female ducks lead to variations in body weight, significantly affecting the growth of the Muscovy duck meat industry. The aim of this study is to explore the regulatory mechanisms for the muscle development differences between genders. Muscovy ducks of both sexes were selected for measurements of body weight, growth traits, hormone levels, and muscle gene expression. The results show that male ducks compared to females had greater weight and growth traits ( < 0.05). Compared to male ducks, the level of serum testosterone in female ducks was decreased, and the estradiol levels were increased ( < 0.05). The RNA-seq analysis identified 102 upregulated and 49 downregulated differentially expressed genes. KEGG analysis revealed that among the top 10 differentially enriched pathways, the AMPK signaling pathway is closely related to muscle growth and development. Additionally, the mRNA and protein levels of CD36, CPT1A, LPL, and SREBP1 were increased and the P-AMPK protein level decreased in the female ducks compared to the male ducks ( < 0.05). In conclusion, muscle development potential difference between male and female ducks is regulated by sex hormones. This process is likely mediated through the activation of the AMPK pathway.
公鸭和母鸭在肌肉发育潜力方面的差异导致体重出现差异，这对麝香鸭肉类产业的生长有显著影响。本研究旨在探索雌雄间肌肉发育差异的调控机制。选取雌雄麝香鸭进行体重、生长性状、激素水平和肌肉基因表达的测量。结果表明，公鸭的体重和生长性状均显著大于母鸭（<0.05）。与公鸭相比，母鸭血清睾酮水平降低，雌二醇水平升高（<0.05）。RNA-seq 分析鉴定出 102 个上调和 49 个下调的差异表达基因。KEGG 分析显示，在 top10 差异富集通路中，AMPK 信号通路与肌肉生长和发育密切相关。此外，与公鸭相比，母鸭的 CD36、CPT1A、LPL 和 SREBP1 的 mRNA 和蛋白水平升高，而 P-AMPK 蛋白水平降低（<0.05）。综上所述，公鸭和母鸭的肌肉发育潜力差异受性激素调控。这一过程可能是通过激活 AMPK 通路介导的。
