Abstract
Poultry meat quality is affected by many factors, among which intramuscular fat (IMF) is predominant. IMF content affects the tenderness, juiciness, and flavor of chicken. An increasing number of studies are focusing on the functions of lncRNAs in adipocyte differentiation. However, little is known about lncRNAs associated with intramuscular adipocyte differentiation. In the present study, we focused on an up-regulated lncRNA during intramuscular adipogenetic differentiation, which we named intramuscular fat-associated long non-coding RNA (IMFNCR). IMFNCR promotes intramuscular adipocyte differentiation. In-depth analyses showed that IMFNCR acts as a molecular sponge for miR-128-3p and miR-27b-3p and that PPARG is a direct target of miR-128-3p and miR-27b-3p in chicken. High-fat and high-protein diet inhibited chicken IMFNCR level in vivo. Moreover, IMFNCR level was positively correlated with PPARG mRNA level in chicken breast muscle tissues, a vital corollary to ceRNA function. Altogether, our research showed that IMFNCR acts as a ceRNA to sequester miR-128-3p and miR-27b-3p, leading to heightened PPARG expression, and thus promotes intramuscular adipocyte differentiation. Taken together, our findings may contribute to a more thorough understanding of chicken IMF deposition and the improvement of poultry meat quality.
Highlights
Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is an important factor associated with meat quality, while abdominal fat is regarded as one of the main factors affecting poultry slaughter efficiency
The genomic location and gene structure of intramuscular fatassociated long non-coding RNA (IMFNCR) are shown in Supplementary Figure S1. qRT-PCR results showed that IMFNCR was highly expressed in pancreas, abdominal fat and breast muscle tissues that IMFNCR and adipocyte markers Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) and CEBPA were significantly upregulated with adipocyte differentiation (Figure 4B). miR-27b-3p has been identified to participate in adipocyte differentiation (Lin et al, 2009)
Bioinformatics analysis showed that there exist a putative miR-128-3p and miR-27b-3p binding site in IMFNCR sequence (Figure 5A). qRT-PCR result showed that miR-128-3p and miR-27b-3p were significantly downregulated, while IMFNCR and PPARG were significantly upregulated with intramuscular adipocyte differentiation (Figure 5B)
Summary
Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is an important factor associated with meat quality, while abdominal fat is regarded as one of the main factors affecting poultry slaughter efficiency. It is generally believed that increasing IMF content is usually accompanied by an increase in abdominal fat content. Achieving carcass with high IMF content and minimal abdominal fat content, balancing IMF, and abdominal fat content has been a major aim of poultry breeding. Previous studies suggested that there exist different fat deposition rates in different parts of the body, and different fat tissues have distinct lipid accumulation and metabolism ability. The molecular mechanisms underlying depot-specific fat deposition remains largely unknown.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
