Abstract
Feed efficiency is one of the most important economic traits in animal production. Improving feed efficiency through genetic selection or other approaches will reduce production costs and mitigate environmental impacts. Residual feed intake (RFI) has some advantages over traditional feed efficiency metrics as a selection criterion for improving feed efficiency, because it is not a ratio and unrelated to growth. In this study, high RFI (HRFI) and low RFI (LRFI) Jian carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian) were tested for feed efficiency traits and serum biochemical indices. No significant differences were observed in the growth rates between HRFI and LRFI group, but daily feed intake of LRFI was significantly lower than that of the HRFI group. The results indicated that significantly higher content of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (T-CHO) in the LRFI group was significantly correlated with RFI. We also selected HRFI and LRFI carp for transcriptomic analysis to determine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the liver tissues of 12 individuals. A total of 830 DEGs were identified between HRFI and LRFI group, of which 486 genes were up-regulated and 344 genes were down-regulated. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were mainly enriched in fatty acid metabolism, ErbB signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol signaling system, and autophagy. Lipid metabolism and autophagy-related genes, were considered candidate genes that played a crucial role in regulating feed efficiency. Taken together, these results indicated that differences in RFI affect Jian carp metabolism and cell fate, and that alterations in fatty acid metabolism and autophagy are key physiological modes of regulation in low RFI Jian carp. Our data provide valuable candidate genes and candidate pathways, which will help to study the molecular mechanisms of feed efficiency in carp.
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