1. Selection of candidate genes affecting meat quality and preliminary exploration of related molecular mechanisms in the Mashen pig.
- Author
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Pengfei Gao, Zhimin Cheng, Meng Li, Ningfang Zhang, Baoyu Le, Wanfeng Zhang, Pengkang Song, Xiaohong Guo, Bugao Li, and Guoqing Cao
- Subjects
MYOBLASTS ,MEAT quality ,MUSCLE growth ,PYRUVATE dehydrogenase kinase ,ASPARTATE aminotransferase ,AMINO acid metabolism ,MALATE dehydrogenase - Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to select the candidate genes affecting meat quality and preliminarily explore the related molecular mechanisms in the Mashen pig. Methods: The present study explored genetic factors affecting meat quality in the Mashen pig using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). We sequenced the transcriptomes of 180-day-old Mashen and Large White pigs using longissimus dorsi to select differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Results: The results indicated that a total of 425 genes were differentially expressed between Mashen and Large White pigs. A gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were mainly enriched for biological processes associated with metabolism and muscle development, while a Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis showed that DEGs mainly participated in signaling pathways associated with amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and skeletal muscle differentiation. A MCODE analysis of the protein-protein interaction network indicated that the four identified subsets of genes were mainly associated with translational initiation, skeletal muscle differentiation, amino acid metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Conclusion: Based on the analysis results, we selected glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 1, malate dehydrogenase 1, pyruvate dehydrogenase 1, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4, and activator protein-1 as candidate genes affecting meat quality in pigs. A discussion of the related molecular mechanisms is provided to offer a theoretical basis for future studies on the improvement of meat quality in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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