He Tianle, Chen Qingyun, Li Huifeng, Mao Jiani, Luo Ju, Ma Dengjun, Yang Zhenguo
Laboratory for Bio-feed and Molecular Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China.
BMC Genomics. 2025 Apr 1;26(1):330. doi: 10.1186/s12864-025-11424-0.
Muscle development is a key factor influencing the growth performance of piglets. Optimizing this developmental process is crucial for enhancing breeding efficiency and economic profitability. Tryptophan (Trp) is considered one of the key limiting amino acids for weaned piglets, plays an essential role in regulating feed intake, growth, and muscle development. However, the regulatory mechanisms by which Trp and its derivatives influence muscle development in weaned piglets remain unclear.
The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory pathways and potential mechanisms of Trp and its metabolites on muscle development in weaned piglets. In this study, 10 healthy castrated male piglets, 28 days old and weaned, were selected and randomly assigned to a control group (CON, 0.14% Trp) and a high tryptophan group (HT, 0.35% Trp), with 5 in each group. After a 7-day pre-feeding period, the formal feeding began, and after 28 days, the pigs were slaughtered and the longissimus dorsi muscles was collected for transcriptome sequencing.
The results indicated that different dietary Trp levels led to the identification of sixteen differentially expressed microRNAs (DE miRNAs) in the longissimus dorsi muscle of the weaned piglets. Target gene functional enrichment analysis showed that these DE miRNAs are involved in muscle cell proliferation, differentiation, protein deposition, and muscle development through multiple biological pathways. Furthermore, we constructed a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network for the target genes, with the enriched core gene cluster functions associated with cellular proliferation, signaling pathways, hormone release, and muscle development. Finally, qRT-PCR validated the reliability and accuracy of the RNA-seq results, revealing a correlation coefficient of 0.97 between the two methods.
This study uncovers the potential mechanisms by which miRNAs participate in the regulation of muscle development in weaned piglets mediated by Trp and its metabolites, providing a theoretical basis and practical guidance for optimizing piglet management and health improvement.
肌肉发育是影响仔猪生长性能的关键因素。优化这一发育过程对于提高繁殖效率和经济效益至关重要。色氨酸（Trp）被认为是断奶仔猪的关键限制性氨基酸之一，在调节采食量、生长和肌肉发育中起着重要作用。然而，色氨酸及其衍生物影响断奶仔猪肌肉发育的调控机制尚不清楚。
本研究旨在探讨色氨酸及其代谢产物对断奶仔猪肌肉发育的调控途径和潜在机制。本研究选取10头28日龄断奶的健康去势雄性仔猪，随机分为对照组（CON，0.14%色氨酸）和高色氨酸组（HT，0.35%色氨酸），每组5头。经过7天的预饲期后开始正式饲喂，28天后屠宰仔猪，采集背最长肌进行转录组测序。
结果表明，不同日粮色氨酸水平导致断奶仔猪背最长肌中鉴定出16个差异表达的微小RNA（DE miRNA）。靶基因功能富集分析表明，这些DE miRNA通过多种生物学途径参与肌肉细胞增殖、分化、蛋白质沉积和肌肉发育。此外，我们构建了靶基因的蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用（PPI）网络，富集的核心基因簇功能与细胞增殖、信号通路、激素释放和肌肉发育相关。最后，qRT-PCR验证了RNA-seq结果的可靠性和准确性，两种方法的相关系数为0.97。
本研究揭示了miRNA参与色氨酸及其代谢产物介导的断奶仔猪肌肉发育调控的潜在机制，为优化仔猪管理和改善健康提供了理论依据和实践指导。
