Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (1): 206-220.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2026.01.018

• ANIMAL GENETICS AND BREEDING • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Comparative Analysis of Histomorphology and Transcriptome in Pectoral Muscle Tissues between Shitou and Wuzong Geese

XIE Zeting, HOU Xiaoyun(), ZHAN Yinkai, LIN Suiyuan, ZHU Purui, GUO Shiqi, QIN Shuang, LUO Yangbing, LI Xiujin, HUANG Yunmao, WU Zhongping(), ZHANG Xumeng()   

  1. College of Animal Sciences and Technology,Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering,Guangzhou 510225,China
  • Received:2025-06-17 Online:2026-01-23 Published:2026-01-26
  • Contact: WU Zhongping, ZHANG Xumeng E-mail:hxy_2005129@qq.com;wuzhongping@zhku.edu.cn;zhangxumeng@zhku.edu.cn

Abstract:

This study aimed to compare the morphological characteristics of pectoral muscle myofibers and transcriptomic profiles between Shitou geese and Wuzong geese at 40- and 90-day-old stages, and to identify candidate genes underlying divergent breast muscle growth across breeds and ages. A total of 3 male Shitou geese and 3 male Wuzong geese from the same batch were randomly selected at 40 and 90 days of age. Pectoral muscle tissues were collected for morphological analysis of muscle fibers using H&E staining. Transcriptome sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to muscle growth, and key candidate genes were further validated by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT‑qPCR). H&E staining results revealed that at 40 days of age, the density of pectoral muscle fibers in Shitou geese was significantly higher than that in Wuzong geese (P<0.001), while the diameter of pectoral muscle fibers was significantly smaller (P<0.001). At 90 days of age, however, the density of pectoral muscle fibers in Shitou geese was significantly lower than that in Wuzong geese (P<0.05), and no significant difference was observed in pectoral muscle fiber diameter between the two breeds (P>0.05). Transcriptome sequencing of pectoral muscle identified 5 719 DEGs in total, including 3 907 DEGs between different ages within the same breed and 1 812 DEGs between the two breeds at the same age. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that pathways including ECM-receptor interaction, cell adhesion molecules, and focal adhesion critically regulated pectoral muscle growth across ages within breeds. Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and cell adhesion molecule pathways were key regulators of growth differences between breeds at the same age. Eight candidate genes (COL4A2, ITGB3, CAV1, CCND2, MYLK2, PDGFRAACTN2, and TNNC2) closely associated with pectoral muscle development were identified. RT-qPCR validation confirmed high correlation (r>0.90) with transcriptome data, supporting the reliability of sequencing results. In summary, this study revealed significant variations in myofiber morphology across developmental stages and between Shitou and Wuzong goose breeds. Key pathways including focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, and cell adhesion molecules were found to mediate pectoral muscle myofibre hypertrophy through regulating the expression of candidate genes (e.g., COL4A2, ITGB3, CAV1, etc.). These findings establish a theoretical foundation for molecular marker-assisted breeding in meat geese, accelerating genetic improvement programs and new breed development.

Key words: Shitou goose, Wuzong goose, pectoral muscles, muscle growth, differentially expressed genes

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