Dynamic accumulation of fatty acids in duck (Anas platyrhynchos) breast muscle and its correlations with gene expression

• Published in: BMC genomics 2020-01, Vol.21 (1), p.58-58, Article 58
• Main Authors: Fan, Wenlei, Liu, Wenjing, Liu, Hehe, Meng, Qingshi, Xu, Yaxi, Guo, Yuming, Wang, Baowei, Zhou, Zhengkui, Hou, Shuisheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accumulation; Aquatic birds; Arachidonic acid; Breast; Breast muscle; Breeding; Cluster analysis; Composition; Correlation analysis; Deposition; Duck; Ducks; Fatty acid composition; Fatty acid profile; Fatty acids; Females; Gene expression; Genes; Genetic engineering; Genetic research; Genomics; Instrument industry (Equipment); Linoleic acid; Lipid metabolism; Lipids; Lipogenesis; Lipolysis; Meat; Meat quality; Metabolism; Monounsaturated fatty acids; Muscles; Oleic acid; Oxidation; Oxidation-reduction reactions; Oxidative phosphorylation; Palmitic acid; Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors; Phosphorylation; Physiological aspects; Poultry; Principal components analysis; Regulatory mechanisms (biology); Saturated fatty acids; Signal transduction; Stearic acid; Transcriptome; Unsaturated fatty acids; Waterfowl
• ISSN: 1471-2164; 1471-2164
• DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6482-7

Fatty acid composition contributes greatly to the quality and nutritional value of meat. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying fatty acid accumulation in poultry have not yet been cleared. The aims of this study were to characterize the dynamics of fatty acid accumulation in duck breast muscle and investigate its correlations with gene expression. Here, we analyzed the fatty acid profile and transcriptome of breast muscle derived from Pekin ducks and mallards at the ages of 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 8 weeks. Twenty fatty acids were detected in duck breast muscle, with palmitic acid (C16:0, 16.6%~ 21.1%), stearic acid (C18:0, 9.8%~ 17.7%), oleic acid (C18:1n-9, 15.7%~ 33.8%), linoleic acid (C18:2n-6, 10.8%~ 18.9%) and arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6, 11.7%~ 28.9%) as the major fatty acids. Our results showed that fatty acid composition was similar between the two breeds before 6 weeks, but the compositions diverged greatly after this point, mainly due to the stronger capacity for C16:0 and C18:1n-9 deposition in Pekin ducks. By comparing the multistage transcriptomes of Pekin ducks and mallards, we identified 2025 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Cluster analysis of these DEGs revealed that the genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid degradation and the PPAR signaling pathway were upregulated in mallard at 8 weeks. Moreover, correlation analysis of the DEGs and fatty acid composition traits suggested that the DEGs involved in lipogenesis, lipolysis and fatty acid β-oxidation may interact to influence the deposition of fatty acids in duck breast muscle. We reported the temporal progression of fatty acid accumulation and the dynamics of the transcriptome in breast muscle of Pekin ducks and mallards. Our results provide insights into the transcriptome regulation of fatty acid accumulation in duck breast muscle, and will facilitate improvements of fatty acid composition in duck breeding.