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Noncoding RNAs, such as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), are abundant in livestock. Many lncRNAs that affect the growth rate of livestock have been identified in muscles. However, some of their physiological functions and regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we identified a new lncRNA (lncPRRX1) and investigated its effect on the proliferation of bovine myoblasts. LncPRRX1 was highly expressed in muscle tissue, and interference with lncPRRX1 inhibited the proliferation of bovine myoblasts in vitro. The RNA molecules of lncPRRX1 act on miR-137 as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). Overexpression of miR-137 suppressed the proliferation of myoblasts, while inhibition of miR-137 had the opposite effect. In addition, the predicted target genes of miR-137 were significantly enriched in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, in which Cell Division Cycle 42 (CDC42) was shown to be the direct target gene of miR-137, and interference with CDC42 inhibited myoblast proliferation. Furthermore, interference with lncPRRX1 repaired the defects in CDC42 protein levels and cell proliferation caused by miR-137 inhibitors. Our results suggested that lncPRRX1 promoted bovine myoblast proliferation by regulating the miRNA-137/CDC42 axis.

Qinchuan cattle has gradually improved in body shape and growth rate in the long-term breeding process from the draft cattle to beef cattle. As the head of the five local yellow cattle in China, the Qinchuan cattle has been designated as a specialized beef cattle breed. We investigated the selection signatures using whole genome sequencing data in Qinchuan cattle. Based on

Alpha/beta hydrolase domain 5 (ABHD5) plays a significant role in intracellular lipid metabolism, which is regulated by a complex network of transcription factors. The transcriptional regulation of...

Background: To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between muscle and adipose in cattle, we analyzed the data from the RNA sequencing of three Angus × Qinchuan crossbred cattle. Results: Searched the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) for a microarray dataset of Yan yellow cattle, GSE49992. After the DEGs were identified, we used STRING and Cytoscape to construct a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, subsequently analyzing the major modules of key genes. In total, 340 DEGs were discovered, including 21 hub genes, which were mainly enriched in muscle contraction, skeletal muscle contraction, troponin complex, lipid particle, Z disc, tropomyosin binding, and actin filament binding. Conclusions: In summary, these genes can be regarded as candidate biomarkers for the regulation of muscle and adipose development. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}

Bone morphogenic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (BAMBI) is a transmembrane protein that affects the growth, development and muscle regeneration of the body by regulating the TGF-β, BMP and Wnt signaling pathways. Studies have found that BAMBI has important regulatory functions in skeletal muscle and preadipocytes in vivo and in vitro. However, research on this protein in cattle is lacking. In this study, to determine the role of BAMBI in the growth and development of cattle, we first found that the expression of BAMBI in adipose tissue and longissimus muscle of newborn and adult Qinchuan beef cattle was significantly different. Then we showed that BAMBI knockdown promoted the differentiation of bovine preadipocytes and suppressed myoblast myogenesis, as indicated by the increased lipid droplets and the decreased myotubes, as well as the corresponding significant changes in the expression of PPARγ, C/EBPα, C/EBPβ, FABP4, MyoD, MyoG and Myf6. Finally, to further verify the effect of BAMBI on the growth performance of cattle, we identified seven novel SNPs in the BAMBI genomic region, which were significantly correlated with one or more growth traits (p

Sirtuin 2 (Sirt2) belongs to the NAD+-dependent deacetylase family, is more highly expressed than other family members in adipocytes, and plays crucial roles in a wide range of biological processes. However, the mechanisms underlying Sirt2 expression during adipogenesis are poorly studied. In this study, the transcriptional start site (TSS) of Sirt2 was identified and two alternative transcript variants were spliced from Sirt2. The 5'-regulatory region of Sirt2 was also characterized; no TATA-box or CCAAT-box was presented in the 5'-flanking region. Two cytosine-phosphate diester-guanine (CpG) islands were also identified between nucleotides -563 and +4. A dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that a 178 base pair sequence upstream from the TSS (+1) was the core promoter of Sirt2. Results from a site-directed mutagenesis experiment, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay indicated Yin Yang 1 (YY1) to be a positive regulator of bovine Sirt2 in preadipocytes. YY1 is likely to suppress adipogenesis in two different ways by regulating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma expression. Our results expand the information on the regulatory network of adipogenesis, which is an important basis for improving beef quality, treating obesity, and other related diseases.

This study investigated the effect of ELOVL6 (elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 6) and its underlying mechanism on lipid metabolism in bovine adipocytes. The ELOVL6 gene was overexpressed in bovine adipocytes by adenoviruses, and RNA sequencing was performed. Overexpression of ELOVL6 showed reduced proportions of C14:0 (Myristic) and C16:0 (palmitate) fatty acids and increased proportions of C18.0 (stearate) and C20:4n6 (arachidonic) fatty acids in adipocytes. In addition, a total of 2170 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found, containing 1802 up-regulated and 368 down-regulated genes. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the down-regulated genes were linked with the regulation of lipolysis and the Wnt signaling pathway. The up-regulated genes were mainly involved in the FoxO signaling pathway; the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway; and the cAMP signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results suggest that ELOVL6 could affect the fatty acid composition in bovine adipocytes. We identified numerous related DEGs and pathways, which may provide a basis for studying the function and molecular mechanism of the ELOVL6 gene in regulating lipid metabolism.

SIRT5 (sirtuin 5) is located in the mitochondria and plays an important role in biological processes such as maintaining the balance of lipid metabolism and promoting fatty acid oxidation mobilization. In this study, the bovine preadipocyte differentiation and obese mouse models were constructed; combined with transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and morphological identification, the regulatory and molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of SIRT5 on bovine preadipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism were studied. The results reveal that during the differentiation of preadipocytes, SIRT5 inhibited the expression of key genes that promote lipid formation and differentiation in fatty acid biosynthesis and PPAR pathways. SIRT5 significantly activated the adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway and repressed the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Eventually, SIRT5 significantly inhibited the differentiation of bovine preadipocytes and simultaneously inhibited lipid synthesis and lipid deposition in adipocytes. The verification experiments performed using obese mice also yielded consistent results in vivo.

Copy number variation (CNV) refers to a kind of structural variation, having functional and evolutionary effects on phenotypes. Thus far, further elucidation of the CNVs in different Chinese indigenous cattle breeds by whole genome sequencing have yet not been done. In this study, a comprehensive genomic analysis was performed on 75 cattle individuals including six Chinese indigenous cattle breeds and two non-native specialized beef cattle breeds. Based on the 11,486 CNVRs discovered, population analysis was performed, showed that all the cattle breeds clustered in to three clades, consistent with their lineages Bos taurus, Bos taurus × Bos indicus and Bos indicus. Importantly, a set of CNVRs related genes were found to be associated with the traits of interest, which include meat production or quality (CAST, ACTC1, etc.), adaption (BLA-DQB, EGLN2, etc.) and coat color (KIT, MITF, etc.). These results provide valuable full genome variation resources for Chinese bovine genome research and would be helpful for cattle breeding and selection programs in the future.

The elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 6 (ELOVL6) gene encodes a key enzyme that plays a role in lipogenesis through the catalytic elongation of both saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Previous studies have described the high expression of bovine ELOVL6 in adipose tissues. However, transcriptional regulation and the functional role of ELOVL6 in lipid metabolism and adipocyte proliferation remain unexplored. Here, a 1.5 kb fragment of the 5'-untranslated region promoter region of ELOVL6 was amplified from the genomic DNA of Qinchuan cattle and sequenced. The core promoter region was identified through unidirectional 5'-end deletion of the promoter plasmid vector. In silico analysis predicted important transcription factors that were then validated through site-directed mutation and small interfering RNA interference with an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. We found that the binding of KLF6 and PU.1 transcription factors occurred in the region -168/+69. Both perform a vital regulatory function in the transcription of bovine ELOVL6. Overexpression of ELOVL6 significantly upregulated the expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ), but inhibited the expression of fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), while silencing of ELOVL6 negatively regulated the messenger RNA expression level of PPARγ, FABP4, ACSL, and FATP1. In addition, ELOVL6 promotes adipocyte proliferation by regulating the cell-cycle genes' expression. Taken together, these findings provide useful information about the transcriptional regulation and functional mechanisms of bovine ELOVL6 in lipid metabolism and adipocyte proliferation in Qinchuan cattle.

The BBS2 gene plays a vital role in human obesity and fat deposition. However, little is known about it in beef cattle. Therefore, this study investigates the function of BBS2 in the fat deposition of beef cattle and screens the effective SNPs marker for meat quality traits in cattle breeding. The expression of BBS2 is negatively correlated with marbling ratios of beef cattle. Moreover, the knockdown of BBS2 promoted adipogenesis and lipid accumulation of bovine preadipocytes by stimulating PPARγ, FABP4, and FASN expression (P 0.01). Four novel SNPs in the exons of BBS2 in Chinese Qinchuan cattle were identified and of which the g.24226239C T (Q527), g.24223562G A (V441I), and g.24227851A G (Q627R) were significantly associated with the meat quality of Qinchuan cattle (P 0.01, P 0.05). The findings suggested that BBS2 could be used as a candidate gene for meat quality improvement in Qinchuan cattle. Furthermore, these genotypes can be exploited as molecular markers in future beef breeding projects.

Alpha/beta hydrolase domain 5 (ABHD5) plays a significant role in intracellular lipid metabolism, which is regulated by a complex network of transcription factors. The transcriptional regulation of the

Mongolian cattle (MG, Bos taurus) and Minnan cattle (MN, Bos indicus) are two different breeds of Chinese indigenous cattle, representing North type and South type, respectively. However, their value and potential have not yet been discovered at the genomic level. In this study, 26 individuals of MN and MG were sequenced for the first time at an average of 13.9- and 12.8-fold, respectively. Large numbers of different variations were identified. In addition, the analyses of phylogenetic and population structure showed that these two cattle breeds are distinct from each other, and results of linkage disequilibrium analysis revealed that these two cattle breeds have undergone various degrees of intense natural or artificial selection. Subsequently, 496 and 306 potential selected genes (PSRs) were obtained in MN and MG, containing 1,096 and 529 potential selected genes (PSGs), respectively. These PSGs, together with the analyzed copy number variation (CNV)-related genes, showed potential relations with their phenotypic characteristics, including environmental adaptability (e.g., DVL2, HSPA4, CDHR4), feed efficiency (e.g., R3HDM1, PLAG1, XKR4), and meat/milk production (e.g., PDHB, LEMD3, APOF). The results of this study help to gain new insights into the genetic characteristics of two distinct cattle breeds and will contribute to future cattle breeding., Graphical Abstract, Mongolian cattle (Bos taurus) and Minnan cattle (Bos indicus) are two different breeds of Chinese indigenous cattle, representing North type and South type, respectively. Authors carried out comprehensive genome-wide analysis of them, and results revealed that these two cattle breeds have undergone various degrees of intense natural or artificial selection.

Sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) belongs to the mitochondrial sirtuin family, which constitutes a highly conserved family of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide NAD+-dependent deacetylases and ADP-ribosyltransferases that play an important regulatory role in stress resistance and metabolic homeostasis. SIRT5, a member of the mitochondrial sirtuins, has been confirmed to exhibit deacetylase, desuccinylase, and demalonylase enzymatic activities. First, we showed that SIRT5 was expressed at the highest level in the bovine testis, followed by longissimus thoracis and subcutaneous adipose tissue, using real-time quantitative PCR and mRNA levels of SIRT5 during adipocyte differentiation, which increased before the first day and then decreased rapidly. To explore the molecular regulation of bovine SIRT5 expression, we cloned a 2-kb fragment of the 5'-regulatory region and the functional proximal minimal promoter of bovine SIRT5. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and luciferase reporter assays identified Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta (CEBPβ), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), myogenic differentiation 1 (MYOD), and nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) binding sites as transcriptional activators or repressors in the core promoter region of SIRT5. In brief, our study focused on the mechanism underlying the transcriptional regulation of SIRT5 expression in bovine adipocytes.

E. coli is the main causative agent of mastitis in dairy cows, but the mechanism of molecular regulation underlying the occurrence and development of mastitis has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, an E. coli-induced mastitis model was created and RNASeq technology was used to measure the miRNA expression profiles at different times post-infection (0, 1, 3, 5, 7 dpi), as well as to screen for differentially expressed miRNA. The results show detection of 2416 miRNAs, including 628 known miRNAs and 1788 newly discovered miRNAs. A total of 200 differentially expressed miRNAs were found at different time points. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these differentially expressed miRNAs may regulate the occurrence and development of mastitis in dairy cows through seven signal transduction pathways, namely cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, MAPK signaling pathway, chemokine signaling pathway, leukocyte transendothelial migration, T cell receptor signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and cell adhesion molecules. In addition, bta-miR-200a, bta-miR-205, bta-miR-122, bta-miR-182 and the newly discovered conservative_15_7229 might be involved in immune process in late stage of E. coli-induced mastitis. The results of this study lay the foundation for molecular network analysis of mastitis and molecular breeding of dairy cows.

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is an enzyme involved with fat deposition and fatty acid composition in cattle. This study was conducted to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the FASN gene and explore their relationships with ultrasound carcass traits in order to assess the potential use of the FASN gene for the breeding selection of Qinchuan cattle for desirable carcass traits. The frequencies of SNP g.12740C>T, g.13192T>C and g.13232C>T were identified in 525 individual Qinchuan cattle which were also assessed for backfat depth, eye muscle area and intramuscular fat by ultrasound. According to the PIC values, g.13192T>C possessed an intermediate polymorphism (0.25 T, g.12740C>T possessed low polymorphism (PIC C were in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium (c2 C was associated with a greater eye muscle area and the TT genotype at g.13232C>T was associated with greater intramuscular fat. When these genotypes were combined there was no difference in eye muscle area and intramuscular fat between the diplotypes. The H2H2 diplotype was associated with carcass traits that are likely to provide economic advantage in Qinchuan cattle. Variations in the FASN genes and their corresponding genotypes may be considered as molecular markers for economic traits in cattle breeding.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in regulating innate and adaptive immunity in humans and animals. Infection with E. coli or S. aureus can cause inflammation of the mammary glands, which results in significant economic losses in dairy cattle. However, the regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in response to E. coli or S. aureus infection in bovine mammary glands have not been thoroughly explored. To discover the differential expression of miRNA in bovine mammary gland challenged with E. coli or S. aureus, we performed miRNA sequencing on tissue samples. A total of 1838 miRNAs were identified, including 580 known-miRNAs (included in the miRbase database) and 1258 predicted novel miRNAs. The miRNA expression patterns indicated that, compared with control samples, 279 miRNAs and 305 miRNAs were differentially expressed miRNAs (DIE-miRNA) in S. aureus and E. coli infected tissues, respectively. Moreover, the results of comparison the DIE-miRNAs between the E. coli and S. aureus infected groups showed that 197 DIE-miRNAs are identical, 108 DIE-miRNAs are specific to the E. coli group, and 82 DIE-miRNAs are specific to the S. aureus group. Many DIE-miRNAs, such as bta-miR-144, bta-miR-451 and bta-miR-7863, might be the useful biomarkers of mastitis caused by E. coli and S. aureus. In addition, target genes of the DIE-miRNAs were predicted. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis indicated that these DIE-miRNAs are likely involved in many immune signaling pathways, including the Toll-like receptor signaling pathways, MAPK signaling pathway, cell adhesion molecules, TGF-β signaling pathway, leukocyte trans endothelial migration, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and chemokine signaling pathways. This study has provided supportive evidence that miRNAs may serve as diagnostic biomarkers of mastitis in dairy cows, and suggests potentially of effective strategies to combat mastitis.

The beta-adrenergic receptors coded by the ADRB1, ADRB2 and ADRB3 genes play important roles in mediating metabolic effects, especially lipolysis, insulin resistance and energy balance. This study investigated the expression levels of these three genes in different tissues of Qinchuan cattle by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Expressed levels of RNA from the ADRB2 gene were generally much higher than for ADRB1 and ADRB3. ADRB1 and ADRB2 expression levels were highest in subcutaneous fat and lower in muscle, whereas ADRB3 expression was higher in muscle tissue. Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were discovered in 503 Qinchuan cattle by DNA sequencing, containing three missense mutations (g.1148G>C in ADRB1, g.1293C>T and g.1311T>C in ADRB2), four synonymous mutations (g.1054T>C, g.1122C>T and g.1143G>T in ADRB1 and g.506A>G in ADRB3), as well as one mutation in 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) (g.2799G>A in ADRB3). Interestingly, five of them were located in regions predicted to contain multiple repeats of CG nucleotides (CpG islands). Association analysis showed relationships between most of those SNPs or combined haplotypes and carcass traits of Qinchuan cattle. This study association analysis suggests that polymorphisms in these genes might be useful for selection in beef cattle breeding.

The bovine genetic resources in China are diverse, but their value and potential are yet to be discovered. To determine the genetic diversity and population structure of Chinese cattle, we analyzed the whole genomes of 46 cattle from six phenotypically and geographically representative Chinese cattle breeds, together with 18 Red Angus cattle genomes, 11 Japanese black cattle genomes and taurine and indicine genomes available from previous studies. Our results showed that Chinese cattle originated from hybridization between Bos taurus and Bos indicus. Moreover, we found that the level of genetic variation in Chinese cattle depends upon the degree of indicine content. We also discovered many potential selective sweep regions associated with domestication related to breed-specific characteristics, with selective sweep regions including genes associated with coat color (ERCC2, MC1R, ZBTB17, and MAP2K1), dairy traits (NCAPG, MAPK7, FST, ITFG1, SETMAR, PAG1, CSN3, and RPL37A), and meat production/quality traits (such as BBS2, R3HDM1, IGFBP2, IGFBP5, MYH9, MYH4, and MC5R). These findings substantially expand the catalogue of genetic variants in cattle and reveal new insights into the evolutionary history and domestication traits of Chinese cattle.

Adipose tissue is the largest metabolic organ because of adipogenesis controlled by numerous miRNAs. MiR-145 is classified into the same cluster with famous miR-143. However, few studies have investigated the role of miR-145 in adipogenesis. In the current study, we observed that the expression of miR-145 was downregulated during bovine adipogenesis in vivo and in vitro. The results of RNA-Seq analysis showed that miR-145 mainly disturb the PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways in bovine preadipocytes. MiR-145 inhibited bovine preadipocyte differentiation and downregulated phosphorylation level of Akt and ERK1/2 proteins. Furthermore, insulin, as a powerful inducer initiating adipogenesis and an activator of the PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways, was able to rescue the downregulation of Akt and ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels caused by miR-145. Taken together, our findings suggest that miR-145 is a potent inhibitor of adipogenesis that may function by reducing the activity of PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways.

Chinese indigenous pigs exhibit considerable phenotypic diversity, but their population structure and the genetic basis of agriculturally important traits need further exploration. Here, we sequenced the whole genomes of 24 individual pigs representing 22 breeds distributed throughout China. For comparison with European and commercial breeds (one pig per breed), we included seven published pig genomes with our new genomes for analyses. Our results showed that breeds grouped together based on morphological classifications are not necessarily more genetically similar to each other than to breeds from other groups. We found that genetic material from European pigs likely introgressed into five Chinese breeds. We have identified two new subpopulations of domestic pigs that encompass morphology-based criteria in China. The Southern Chinese subpopulation comprises the classical South Chinese Type and part of the Central China Type. In contrast, the Northern Chinese subpopulation comprises the North China Type, the Lower Yangtze River Basin Type, the Southwest Type, the Plateau Type, and the remainder of the Central China Type. Eight haplotypes and two recombination sites were identified within a conserved 40.09 Mb linkage-disequilibrium (LD) block on the X chromosome. Potential candidate genes (LEPR, FANCC, COL1A1, and PCCA) influencing body size were identified. Our findings provide insights into the phylogeny of Chinese indigenous pig breeds and benefit gene mining efforts to improve major economic traits.

This review considers the unique characteristics of Chinese cattle and intramuscular fat content (IMF) as factors influencing meat quality, including tenderness, flavor, and juiciness of meat. Due to its nutritional qualities, meat contributes to a healthy and balanced diet. The intramuscular fat content and eating quality of beef are influenced by many factors, which can generally be divided into on-farm and pre-slaughter factors (breed, sex of cattle, age at slaughter, housing system, diet, and pre-slaughter handling) and postmortem factors (post-slaughter processing, chilling temperature, and packaging). Meat quality traits can also be influenced by the individual genetic background of the animal. Worldwide, the function of genes and genetic polymorphisms that have potential effects on fattening of cattle and beef quality have been investigated. The use of DNA markers is recognized as a powerful and efficient approach to achieve genetic gain for desirable phenotypic characteristics, which is helpful for economic growth. The polymorphisms of the SIRT4, SIRT6, SIRT7, CRTC3, ABHD5, KLF6, H-FABP, and ELOVL6 genes for body and growth characteristics of cattle, and also for beef quality, are considered with the aim of highlighting the significance of beef intramuscular fat content, and that growth, body, and meat quality characteristics are polygenically regulated.

Preadipocyte differentiation and lipid synthesis are critical steps for intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition and lipid metabolism homeostasis. IMF content of beef not only determines the ratio of muscle to adipose, but also determines the beef quality, flavor, and sensory characteristics. Maintaining lipid metabolism homeostasis is the key means of preventing and treating diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic diseases. SIRT6, which is an ADP-ribosyltransferase and NAD+-dependent deacetylase of acetyl and long-chain fatty acyl groups, playing central roles in lipid and glucose metabolism, is closely related to the occurrence of diabetes and obesity caused by overnutrition and aging. This study was based on bovine preadipocyte differentiation and an obese mice model, and comprehensively used transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and morphological identification methods to explore the effects of inhibition of SIRT6 on differentiation and lipid synthesis, and related molecular mechanisms. Additionally, the feedback synergistic regulation of SIRT5 and SIRT6 on differentiation and lipid deposition was analyzed. The results showed that in the differentiation process of bovine preadipocytes, inhibition of SIRT5 significantly promoted SIRT6 expression. In addition, SIRT6 inhibited bovine preadipocyte differentiation and lipid synthesis, cooperating with SIRT5 to decrease lipid deposition, and repressed cell cycle arrest of preadipocytes. Moreover, in vivo verification experiments also obtained consistent results. Furthermore, SIRT6 inhibited preadipocyte differentiation and lipid deposition by activating the adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase alpha (AMPKα) pathway. The above results provided a novel approach for understanding the functions of SIRT6 in regulating bovine adipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism, as well as a new target for the treatment of diabetes and obesity in a clinical setting.

MicroRNAs are small, single stranded, and noncoding RNAs that have been proven to be potent regulators of adipogenesis. However, the role of bta-miR-149-5p in regulating bovine adipogenesis is still unclear. Expression profiling in different stages of adipogenesis revealed that bta-miR-149-5p was enriched in the proliferation stage, and also on Day 9 of differentiation in bovine adipocytes. Our gain of function study showed that bta-miR-149-5p can negatively regulate both bovine adipocyte proliferation and differentiation. Overexpression of bta-miR-149-5p suppressed the expression of proliferation marker genes at both the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels, markedly decreased the percentage of S-phase cells, decreased the number of EdU-stained cells, and substantially reduced adipocyte proliferation vitality in the cell count assay. Collectively, these findings elucidated that bta-miR-149-5p inhibits adipocyte proliferation. Furthermore, overexpression of bta-miR-149-5p also suppressed the expression of adipogenic genes at both the mRNA and protein levels, inhibited lipid accumulation, and reduced the secretion of adiponectin in bovine adipocytes. Furthermore, a luciferase activity assay explored how bta-miR-149-5p targeted CRTCs (CRTC1 and CRTC2) directly. This targeting was further validated by the mRNA and protein level expression of CRTC1 and CRTC2, which were down regulated by bta-miR-149-5p overexpression. Moreover, bta-miR-149-5p indirectly targeted CRTC1 and CRTC2 through regulating their key transcription factors. Overexpression of bta-miR-149-5p suppressed the expression of SMAD3, while enriched the expression of NRF1, which are the key transcription factors and proven regulators of CRTC1. Overexpression of bta-miR-149-5p also repressed the expression of C/EBPγ, XBP1, INSM1, and ZNF263, which are the key regulators of CRTCs, at both the mRNA and protein levels. These findings suggest that bta-miR-149-5p is a negative regulator of CRTC1 and CRTC2 both at transcriptional and posttranscriptional level. Taken together, these findings suggest that bta-miR-149-5p can regulate adipogenesis, which implies that bta-miR-149-5p could be a target for increasing intramuscular fat in beef cattle.

The Src homology 2 B 2 (SH2B2) gene regulate energy balance and body weight at least partially by enhancing Janus kinase-2 (JAK2)-mediated cytokine signaling, including leptin and/or GH signaling. Leptin is an adipose hormone that controls body weight. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the association between body measurement traits and SH2B2 gene polymorphisms as responsible mutations. For this purpose, we selected four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SH2B2 gene, including two in intron 5 (g.20545A>G, and g.20570G>A, one synonymous SNP g.20693T>C, in exon 6 and one in intron 8 (g.24070C>A, and genotyped them in Qinchuan cattle. SNPs in sample populations were in medium polymorphism level (0.250A, g.20693T>C, and g.24070C>A, significantly (P < 0.05) associated with body length (BL) and chest circumference (CC) in Qinchuan cattle. In addition, H4H3 and H5H5 diplotype had highly significantly (P < 0.01) greater body length (BL), rump length (RL), and chest circumference (CC) than H4H2. Our investigation will not only extend the spectrum of genetic variation of bovine SH2B2 gene, but also provide useful information for the marker assisted selection in beef cattle breeding program.

Background Chinese indigenous pigs exhibit considerable phenotypic diversity, but their population structure and the genetic basis of agriculturally important traits have not been explored. Results Here, we sequenced the whole genomes of 24 individual pigs representing 22 breeds distributed throughout China. For comparison with European and commercial breeds (one pig per breed), we integrated seven published pig genomes with our new genomes. Our results showed that pig domestication occurred at three places in Southeastern Asia, namely the Mekong region, the middle to downstream regions of the Yangtze River, and Tibetan highlands. Moreover, we demonstrated that classic morphological characteristics such as coat color are not consistent with genetic data. We found that genetic material from European pigs likely introgressed into five Chinese breeds. Two new subpopulations of domestic pigs have been identified in South and North China that encompass morphology-based criteria. The Southern Chinese subpopulation comprises the classical Southern China Type and part of the Central China Type, whereas the Northern Chinese subpopulation comprises the North China Type, the Lower Yangtze River Basin Type, the Southwest Type, the Plateau Type, and the remainder of the Central China Type. Eight haplotypes and two recombination sites were identified within a conserved 40.09 Mb linkage-disequilibrium block on the X chromosome. Potential selection and domestication signatures were identified, mainly influencing body size, along with adaptations to cold and hot temperature environments. Conclusions Our findings provide insights into the phylogeny of Chinese indigenous pig breeds, and will be of enormous benefit in identifying beneficial genes to develop superior pig breeds.

In contrast with the past, the water buffalo is now not only a draft animal, but also an important food source of milk and meat. It is increasingly apparent that the water buffalo have huge potential for meat production, but its breeding needs to be investigated. Regarding the molecular mechanisms involved in the meat quality difference between the buffalo (Bubalus bulabis) and yellow cattle (Bos taurus), 12 chemical-physical characteristics related to the meat quality of longissimus thoracis muscles (LTM) have been compared at the age of 36 months. Intramuscular lipid and b* (yellowness) were greater in cattle than the buffalo, whereas a* (redness) was greater in the buffalo. Gene expression profiles were constructed by bovine genome array. A total of 8884 and 10,960 probes were detected in buffalo and cattle, respectively, with 1580 genes being differentially expressed. Over 400 probes were upregulated and nearly 1200 were downregulated in LTM of the buffalo, most being involved in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) processing, cholesterol homeostasis, regulation of transcription, response to hypoxia, and glycolysis. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to validate the microarray data. Enriched GO analyses of highly expressed genes in LTM showed that protein biosynthesis, striated muscle contraction, iron homeostasis, iron transport, glycolysis and glucose metabolism were similar between the buffalo and cattle. High protein content, low fat content and deep meat color of buffalo LTM may be closely associated with the increased expression of genes involved in cholesterol and iron homeostasis, while also reducing the expression of genes involved in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and protein oxidative phosphorylation. These results establish the groundwork for further studies on buffalo meat quality and will be beneficial in improving water buffalo breeding by molecular biotechnology.