Li Xinming, Huang Qiuyan, Meng Fanming, Hong Chun, Li Baohong, Yang Yecheng, Qu Zixiao, Wu Junda, Li Fei, Xin Haiyun, Hu Bin, Wu Jie, Hu Chuanhuo, Zhu Xiangxing, Tang Dongsheng, Du Zongliang, Wang Sutian
State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Nutrition, Institute of Animal Science, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Breeding, Disease Control and Prevention, College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
Genes (Basel). 2025 Feb 20;16(3):246. doi: 10.3390/genes16030246.
: Fat deposition traits in pigs directly influence pork flavor, tenderness, and juiciness and are closely linked to overall pork quality. The Tibetan pig, an indigenous breed in China, not only possesses a high intramuscular fat content but also exhibits a unique fat metabolism pattern due to long-term adaptation to harsh environments. This makes it an excellent genetic and physiological model for investigating fat deposition characteristics. Adipose tissue from different body regions displays varying morphologies, cytokines, and adipokines. This study aimed to examine adipose tissue deposition characteristics in different parts of Tibetan pigs and provide additional data to explore the underlying mechanisms of differential fat deposition. : Our research identified significant differences in the morphology and gene expression patterns between subcutaneous fat (abdominal fat [AF] and back fat [BF]) and intramuscular fat (IMF) in Tibetan pigs. : Histological observations revealed that subcutaneous fat cells were significantly larger in area and diameter compared to IMF cells. The transcriptomic analysis further identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between subcutaneous fat and IMF, with a total of 65 DEGs in BF vs. IMF and 347 DEGs in AF vs. IMF, including 25 DEGs common to both comparisons. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses indicated that these genes were significantly associated with lipid metabolism-related signaling pathways, such as the Wnt, mTOR, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Several DEGs, including , , , and , may be linked to the differences in fat deposition in different parts of Tibetan pigs, thereby affecting meat quality and nutritional value. : These findings provide new insights into the unique fat distribution and deposition characteristics of Tibetan pigs and establish a foundation for breeding strategies aimed at improving pork quality.
猪的脂肪沉积性状直接影响猪肉的风味、嫩度和多汁性，与猪肉的整体品质密切相关。藏猪是中国的本土品种，不仅肌肉内脂肪含量高，而且由于长期适应恶劣环境，还表现出独特的脂肪代谢模式。这使其成为研究脂肪沉积特征的优良遗传和生理模型。来自不同身体部位的脂肪组织表现出不同的形态、细胞因子和脂肪因子。本研究旨在研究藏猪不同部位的脂肪组织沉积特征，并提供更多数据以探索脂肪沉积差异的潜在机制。：我们的研究发现藏猪皮下脂肪（腹部脂肪[AF]和背部脂肪[BF]）和肌肉内脂肪（IMF）在形态和基因表达模式上存在显著差异。：组织学观察表明，与IMF细胞相比，皮下脂肪细胞的面积和直径明显更大。转录组分析进一步确定了皮下脂肪和IMF之间的差异表达基因（DEG），BF与IMF之间共有65个DEG，AF与IMF之间有347个DEG，其中包括两个比较中共同的25个DEG。基因本体论（GO）和京都基因与基因组百科全书（KEGG）富集分析表明，这些基因与脂质代谢相关信号通路显著相关，如Wnt、mTOR和PI3K-Akt信号通路。包括、、和在内的几个DEG可能与藏猪不同部位脂肪沉积的差异有关，从而影响肉质和营养价值。：这些发现为藏猪独特的脂肪分布和沉积特征提供了新的见解，并为旨在提高猪肉品质的育种策略奠定了基础。
