Analysis of gene expression profiles from subcutaneous adipose tissue of two pig breeds

Abstract

Lipid deposition, especially in subcutaneous (backfat) adipose tissues, is directly related to the meat yield and quality in pork. We hypothesized that differentially expressed genes and their transcription factors play a role in the regulation of adipogenesis in porcine backfat. We identified 136 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in subcutaneous adipose tissue between two pig breeds, the Korean native pig (KNP) and Yorkshire, using a cDNA microarray. Gene ontology analysis demonstrated that some DEGs are involved in fat metabolism processes such as adipogenesis, adipocyte differentiation, and lipolysis. In addition, we identified the regulatory relationship between DEGs and their transcription factors using in silico and qRT-PCR analysis. Two transcription factors (TEF-1, IRF-7) have positively regulated DEGs in KNP backfat. Three other transcription factors (STAT3, OCT1 and HNF4) are negatively correlated with the DEGs in KNP backfat. Our findings suggest that DEGs and their transcription factors may have a potential role in adipogenesis and/or lipid deposition in backfat tissues between pig breeds.