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Intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition is one of the most important factors affecting meat quality and is closely associated with the expression of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A (CPT1A) which facilitates the transfer of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) into the mitochondria. However, the role of how CPT1A regulates the IMF formation remains unclear. Herein, we established the temporal expression profile of CPT1A during the differentiation of goat intramuscular precursor adipocytes. Functionally, the knockdown of CPT1A by siRNA treatment significantly increased the mRNA expression of adipogenic genes and promoted lipid deposition in goat intramuscular precursor adipocytes. Meanwhile, a CPT1A deficiency inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis significantly. CPT1A was then supported by the overexpression of CPT1A which significantly suppressed the cellular triglyceride deposition and promoted cell proliferation although the cell apoptosis also was increased. For RNA sequencing, a total of 167 differential expression genes (DEGs), including 125 upregulated DEGs and 42 downregulated DEGs, were observed after the RNA silencing of CPT1A compared to the control, and were predicted to enrich in the focal adhesion pathway, cell cycle, apoptosis and the MAPK signaling pathway by KEGG analysis. Specifically, blocking the MAPK signaling pathway by a specific inhibitor (PD169316) rescued the promotion of cell proliferation in CPT1A overexpression adipocytes. In conclusion, the expression variation of CPT1A may reconstruct the lipid distribution between cellular triglyceride deposition and cell proliferation in goat intramuscular precursor adipocyte. Furthermore, we demonstrate that CPT1A promotes the proliferation of goat adipocytes through the MAPK signaling pathway. This work widened the genetic regulator networks of IMF formation and delivered theoretical support for improving meat quality from the aspect of IMF deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]