Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2022, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (3): 743-754.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2022.03.008

• ANIMAL GENETICS AND BREEDING • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Study on the Molecular Mechanism of Regulating Tenderness of Longissimus Dorsi Muscle of Donkey Based on Transcriptomics and Metabolomics

LI Wufeng1*, GUAN Jiawei1, QIU Lixia1, SUN Yutong1, DU Min2*   

  1. 1. College of Life Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China;
    2. Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164-6310, United States of America
  • Received:2021-07-19 Online:2022-03-23 Published:2022-03-31

Abstract: The study aimed to explore the molecular regulation mechanism of donkey meat tenderness based on the joint analysis of transcriptome and metabolome. In this study, 30 female Guangling donkeys with the same growth environment and feeding conditions, aged 33 to 36 months, were used as the research object. Shear force and intramuscular fat content were measured, and 8 donkeys were selected based on the shear force and intramuscular fat content. The donkeys were divided into high tenderness group (HT, n=4) and low tenderness group (LT, n=4). Differentially expressed genes and metabolites were screened by transcriptome and metabolome analysis, and then combined with KEGG pathway enrichment analysis to construct the relevant network interaction map. The results of transcriptome indicated that a total of 1 253 differetially expressed genes were found in HT group and LT group, of which 832 genes were up-regulated and 421 genes were down-regulated. The results of KEGG analysis indicated that the differetially expressed genes were mainly enriched in carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, endocrine system, signal transduction and cellular processes. The metabolome showed that 225 differential metabolites were identified in HT and LT group, of which 154 were up-regulated and 71 were down-regulated. KEGG pathway analysis showed that differential metabolites were mainly enriched in carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism and signal transduction. Joint analysis showed that differentially expressed genes and differential metabolites were significantly enriched in glycero-phospholipid metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism and glucagon signaling pathway. Significant differentially expressed genes and metabolites played a key regulatory role in the above metabolic pathways, and can be used as potential candidate genes and metabolites for donkey meat tenderness, which lays a theoretical foundation for exploring the molecular regulation mechanism of meat tenderness and molecular breeding of donkey in the future.

Key words: Guangling donkey, tenderness, transcriptome, metabolome, combined analysis

CLC Number: