Gao Zhanhong, Su Quyangangmao, Raza Sayed Haidar Abbas, Piras Cristian, BinMowyna Mona N, Al-Zahrani Majid, Mavromatis Charalampos, Makhlof Raafat T M, Senna Mustafa M, Gui Linsheng
College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016, Qinghai, People's Republic of China.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Biochem Genet. 2025 Feb 19. doi: 10.1007/s10528-025-11046-x.
Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is a key indicator of yak meat quality. This study aimed to identify lncRNAs that regulate IMF deposition in yaks. Three male calf yaks (3 months) and three male adult yaks (3 years) were used in the current study. After slaughter, the tissue morphology of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was assessed using a cry-sectioning technique and differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs (DELs and DEMs) were identified using RNA-Seq technology. The diameter and volume of fat droplets were significantly larger and bigger, respectively, in adults than in calves (P < 0.001). A total of 37,790 genes and 16,400 lncRNAs that regulate fat deposition were identified. Among them, 2327 mRNAs and 474 lncRNAs were differentially expressed between calves and adult yaks. DEGs stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), fatty acid synthase (FASN), fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) and fibronectin 1 (FN1) and DELs MSTRG.15795.4 and MSTRG.35028.6 were screened. The enrichment and pathway analysis regulated by the DMEs and DELs were predicted. We found significantly enriched biological processes and pathways involved in fat deposition, including the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid elongation, and the mTOR signaling pathway. Co-expression network of the DELs and related genes, including MSTRG.10268.1-placenta associated 8 (PLAC8), MSTRG.16223.1-galectin 3 (LGALS3), MSTRG.34732.1-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, mitochondrial (GPAM), MSTRG.11907.11-fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1), MSTRG.34342.1-lipase A, lysosomal acid type (LIPA), and MSTRG.1667.2-integrin subunit beta 2 (ITGB2) was constructed. RT-qPCR verified the sequence results. The molecular regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs on intramuscular fat deposition in yak were further explored.
肌内脂肪（IMF）含量是牦牛肉品质的关键指标。本研究旨在鉴定调控牦牛肌内脂肪沉积的长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）。本研究选用了3头雄性犊牛（3月龄）和3头雄性成年牦牛（3岁）。屠宰后，采用冰冻切片技术评估背最长肌（LD）的组织形态，并利用RNA测序技术鉴定差异表达的lncRNA和mRNA（DEL和DEM）。成年牦牛脂肪滴的直径和体积分别显著大于犊牛（P < 0.001）。共鉴定出37790个基因和16400个调控脂肪沉积的lncRNA。其中，犊牛和成年牦牛之间有2327个mRNA和474个lncRNA差异表达。筛选出差异表达基因硬脂酰辅酶A去饱和酶（SCD）、脂肪酸合酶（FASN）、脂肪酸结合蛋白4（FABP4）和纤连蛋白1（FN1）以及差异表达lncRNA MSTRG.15795.4和MSTRG.35028.6。对差异表达mRNA和lncRNA调控的富集和通路进行了预测。我们发现了与脂肪沉积显著相关的生物过程和通路，包括不饱和脂肪酸的生物合成、脂肪酸生物合成、脂肪酸延长以及mTOR信号通路。构建了差异表达lncRNA与相关基因的共表达网络，这些相关基因包括MSTRG.10268.1-胎盘相关蛋白8（PLAC8）、MSTRG.16223.1-半乳糖凝集素3（LGALS3）、MSTRG.34732.1-线粒体甘油-3-磷酸酰基转移酶（GPAM）、MSTRG.11907.11-成纤维细胞生长因子1（FGF1）、MSTRG.34342.1-溶酶体酸性脂肪酶A（LIPA）以及MSTRG.1667.2-整合素亚基β2（ITGB2）。逆转录定量PCR验证了测序结果。进一步探究了lncRNA对牦牛肌内脂肪沉积的分子调控机制。
