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Simple Summary: This study preliminarily determined the expression pattern of lncRNA during leg muscle development in the middle and late stages of embryo in chicken, and revealed regulatory lncRNAs and pathways associated with skeletal muscle development, providing a theoretical basis for further research on the molecular mechanism of muscle development in embryo. Embryonic muscle development determines the state of muscle development and muscle morphological structure size. Recent studies have found that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) could influence numerous cellular processes and regulated growth and development of flora and fauna. A total of 1056 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified by comparing the different time points during embryonic muscle development, which included 874 new lncRNAs. Here, we found that there were different gene expression patterns on the 12th day of embryo development (E12). Herein, WGCNA and correlation analyses were used to predict lncRNA function on E12 through the screening and identification of lncRNAs related to muscle development in the embryo leg muscles of Chengkou mountain chickens at different times. GO and KEGG functional enrichment analysis was performed on target genes involved in cis-regulation and trans-regulation. An interaction network diagram was constructed based on the muscle development pathways, such as Wnt, FoxO, and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways, to determine the interaction between mRNAs and lncRNAs. This study preliminarily determined the lncRNA expression pattern of muscle development during the middle and late embryonic stages of Chengkou mountain chickens, and provided a basis to analyze the molecular mechanism of muscle development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) may facilitate the diffusion of fatty acids within the cytoplasm. Adipocyte FABP (A-FABP) null mice exhibit altered rates of lipolysis, and reprogrammed expression of genes related to lipid metabolism. In the current study, chicken adipocytes with short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown and cDNA overexpression of A-FABP were used to investigate the role of chicken A-FABP in lipid metabolism of adipocytes. The results showed that there was no significant change of lipid metabolism in the A-FABP interference adipocytes. However, in the A-FABP overexpression adipocytes, the lipolysis was increased significantly at 36h (p <0.05), and lipid accumulation was increased significantly at 48, 60 and 72h (p <0.05). The expression of PPAR γ and perilipin genes were upregulated, while the expression of E-FABP gene was downregulated after transfection with pcDNA3.1/A-FABP (p <0.05). The present study suggested that A-FABP gene might affect the lipid metabolism through the PPAR γ pathway, and the function between A-FABP and E-FABP gene was compensatory in the chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase α (ACCα) is a major rate-limiting enzyme in the biogenesis of long-chain fatty acids. It can catalyze the carboxylation of acetyl-CoA to form malonyl-CoA that plays a key role in the regulation of fatty acid metabolism. The objective of the present study was to investigate the associations of ACCα gene polymorphisms with chicken growth and body composition traits. The Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content and the Northeast Agricultural University F2 Resource Population were used in the current study. Body weight and body composition traits were measured in the aforementioned two populations. A synonymous mutation was detected in the exon 19 region of ACCα gene, then polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was developed to genotype all the individuals derived from the aforementioned populations. Association analysis revealed that the polymorphism was associated with abdominal fat weight and percentage of abdominal fat in the two populations. The results suggested that ACCα gene could be a candidate locus or linked to a major gene that affects abdominal fat content in the chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Similar to the mammalian FABP4 gene, the chicken (Gallus gallus) FABP4 gene consists of four exons separated by three introns and encodes a 132 amino acid protein termed the adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (AFABP). In the current study, a novel G/A polymorphism in exon 3 of the chicken FABP4 gene was identified associated with different chicken breeds that leads to either Ser or Asn at amino acid 89 of the AFABP protein. The Baier chicken averages 0.89±0.12% abdominal fat and expresses the G allele (Ser 89 isoform) while the Broiler chicken typically has 3.74±0.23% abdominal fat and expresses the A allele (Asn 89 isoforms). cDNAs corresponding to the two AFABP isoforms were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as GST fusions, purified by using glutathione sepharose 4B chromatography and evaluated for lipid binding using the fluorescent surrogate ligand 1-anilinonaphthalene 8-sulphonic acid (1,8-ANS). The results showed that AFABP Ser89 exhibited a lower ligand-binding affinity with apparent dissociation constants (Kd) of 7.31±3.75 µM, while the AFABP Asn89 isoform bound 1,8-ANS with an apparent dissociation constant of 2.99±1.00 µM (P =0.02). These results suggest that the Ser89Asn polymorphism may influence chicken AFABP function and ultimately lipid deposition through changing the ligand-binding activity of AFABP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABP) belong to a superfamily of lipid binding proteins that exhibit a high affinity for long chain fatty acids and appear to function in metabolism and intracellular transportation of lipids. The current study was designed to investigate the effects of heart (H)-FABP gene on chicken growth and body composition traits. The Northeast Agricultural University divergent broiler lines for abdominal fat and a broiler X silkie F2 population were used in this study. Body weight and body composition traits were measured in the populations. Primers were designed according to the chicken H-FABP gene sequence. Polymorphisms between parental lines were detected by DNA sequencing. PCR-RFLP and PCR-fragment length polymorphism methods were developed to genotype the populations. The results showed that the H-FABP gene polymorphisms in the two populations were associated with abdominal fat percentage. It implied that H-FABP gene can be a candidate locus or linked to a major gene(s) that affects abdominal fat content in the chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are members of a superfamily of lipid-binding proteins and occur intracellularly in vertebrates and invertebrates. This study was designed to clone and characterize the adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) gene in the chicken. PCR primers were designed according to mammalian A-FABP gene sequence to amplify partial cDNA of A-FABP gene from chicken adipose tissues, and the full length of the gene was cloned by 5′RACE and 3′RACE. Analysis of sequence showed that the cDNA of the chicken A-FABP gene was 74 and 73% homologous with porcine and human A-FABP gene, respectively. The similarity was 77, 28, and 23% at the predicted amino acid level with human A-FABP, human L-FABP, and human I-FABP, respectively. RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis indicated that the chicken A-FABP gene, similar to that of the mammal, is only expressed in fat tissues. This is the first report to identify and characterize A-FABP gene in the chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]