Transcriptome–Metabolome Analysis Reveals That Crossbreeding Improves Meat Quality in Hu Sheep and Their F<sub>1</sub>-Generation Sheep
Consumers are increasingly demanding higher-quality mutton. Crossbreeding has been recognized as an effective means to improve meat quality. However, the phenomenon underlying these molecular system mechanisms remains largely unidentified. In this study, 48 male lambs aged 3 months were selected, in...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Foods |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/8/1384 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849713841347231744 |
|---|---|
| author | Liwa Zhang Xuejiao An Zhenfei Xu Chune Niu Zhiguang Geng Jinxia Zhang Haina Shi Zhenghan Chen Rui Zhang Yaojing Yue |
| author_facet | Liwa Zhang Xuejiao An Zhenfei Xu Chune Niu Zhiguang Geng Jinxia Zhang Haina Shi Zhenghan Chen Rui Zhang Yaojing Yue |
| author_sort | Liwa Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Consumers are increasingly demanding higher-quality mutton. Crossbreeding has been recognized as an effective means to improve meat quality. However, the phenomenon underlying these molecular system mechanisms remains largely unidentified. In this study, 48 male lambs aged 3 months were selected, including ♂ Hu sheep × ♀ Hu (HH, <i>n</i> = 16), ♂ Polled Dorset × ♀ Hu sheep F<sub>1</sub> hybrid lambs (DH, <i>n</i> = 16), and ♂ Southdown × ♀ Hu sheep (SH, <i>n</i> = 16) F<sub>1</sub> hybrid lambs, and raised in a single pen under the same nutritional and management conditions for 95 days. Then, seven sheep close to the average weight of the group were selected and fasted for 12 h prior to slaughter. By comparing the muscle fiber characteristics of the <i>Longissimus dorsi</i> of the three groups of sheep, and through transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, we revealed molecular differences in the meat quality of Hu sheep crossbred with different parent breeds. The results of this study showed that muscle fiber diameter and cross-sectional area were significantly greater in the DH group than in the HH group, and collagen fiber content in the DH group was also significantly higher than in the HH group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). A total of 163 differential genes and 823 differential metabolites were identified in the three groups, most of which were related to muscle development and lipid metabolism. These included the AMPK signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and the related genes <i>EFHB</i>, <i>PER3</i>, and <i>PPARGC1A</i>. The results of this study offer valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of crossbreeding on meat quality and provide a theoretical foundation for sheep crossbreed production. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e2e3101e9ffa459fb2983d7b89e7caf3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-e2e3101e9ffa459fb2983d7b89e7caf32025-08-20T03:13:51ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-04-01148138410.3390/foods14081384Transcriptome–Metabolome Analysis Reveals That Crossbreeding Improves Meat Quality in Hu Sheep and Their F<sub>1</sub>-Generation SheepLiwa Zhang0Xuejiao An1Zhenfei Xu2Chune Niu3Zhiguang Geng4Jinxia Zhang5Haina Shi6Zhenghan Chen7Rui Zhang8Yaojing Yue9Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaLanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaQingyang Research Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Qingyang 745000, ChinaLanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaQingyang Research Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Qingyang 745000, ChinaQingyang Research Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Qingyang 745000, ChinaLanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaLanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaLanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaLanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaConsumers are increasingly demanding higher-quality mutton. Crossbreeding has been recognized as an effective means to improve meat quality. However, the phenomenon underlying these molecular system mechanisms remains largely unidentified. In this study, 48 male lambs aged 3 months were selected, including ♂ Hu sheep × ♀ Hu (HH, <i>n</i> = 16), ♂ Polled Dorset × ♀ Hu sheep F<sub>1</sub> hybrid lambs (DH, <i>n</i> = 16), and ♂ Southdown × ♀ Hu sheep (SH, <i>n</i> = 16) F<sub>1</sub> hybrid lambs, and raised in a single pen under the same nutritional and management conditions for 95 days. Then, seven sheep close to the average weight of the group were selected and fasted for 12 h prior to slaughter. By comparing the muscle fiber characteristics of the <i>Longissimus dorsi</i> of the three groups of sheep, and through transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, we revealed molecular differences in the meat quality of Hu sheep crossbred with different parent breeds. The results of this study showed that muscle fiber diameter and cross-sectional area were significantly greater in the DH group than in the HH group, and collagen fiber content in the DH group was also significantly higher than in the HH group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). A total of 163 differential genes and 823 differential metabolites were identified in the three groups, most of which were related to muscle development and lipid metabolism. These included the AMPK signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and the related genes <i>EFHB</i>, <i>PER3</i>, and <i>PPARGC1A</i>. The results of this study offer valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of crossbreeding on meat quality and provide a theoretical foundation for sheep crossbreed production.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/8/1384crossbreed<i>longissimus dorsi</i>meat qualitytranscriptomicsmetabolomics |
| spellingShingle | Liwa Zhang Xuejiao An Zhenfei Xu Chune Niu Zhiguang Geng Jinxia Zhang Haina Shi Zhenghan Chen Rui Zhang Yaojing Yue Transcriptome–Metabolome Analysis Reveals That Crossbreeding Improves Meat Quality in Hu Sheep and Their F<sub>1</sub>-Generation Sheep Foods crossbreed <i>longissimus dorsi</i> meat quality transcriptomics metabolomics |
| title | Transcriptome–Metabolome Analysis Reveals That Crossbreeding Improves Meat Quality in Hu Sheep and Their F<sub>1</sub>-Generation Sheep |
| title_full | Transcriptome–Metabolome Analysis Reveals That Crossbreeding Improves Meat Quality in Hu Sheep and Their F<sub>1</sub>-Generation Sheep |
| title_fullStr | Transcriptome–Metabolome Analysis Reveals That Crossbreeding Improves Meat Quality in Hu Sheep and Their F<sub>1</sub>-Generation Sheep |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcriptome–Metabolome Analysis Reveals That Crossbreeding Improves Meat Quality in Hu Sheep and Their F<sub>1</sub>-Generation Sheep |
| title_short | Transcriptome–Metabolome Analysis Reveals That Crossbreeding Improves Meat Quality in Hu Sheep and Their F<sub>1</sub>-Generation Sheep |
| title_sort | transcriptome metabolome analysis reveals that crossbreeding improves meat quality in hu sheep and their f sub 1 sub generation sheep |
| topic | crossbreed <i>longissimus dorsi</i> meat quality transcriptomics metabolomics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/8/1384 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT liwazhang transcriptomemetabolomeanalysisrevealsthatcrossbreedingimprovesmeatqualityinhusheepandtheirfsub1subgenerationsheep AT xuejiaoan transcriptomemetabolomeanalysisrevealsthatcrossbreedingimprovesmeatqualityinhusheepandtheirfsub1subgenerationsheep AT zhenfeixu transcriptomemetabolomeanalysisrevealsthatcrossbreedingimprovesmeatqualityinhusheepandtheirfsub1subgenerationsheep AT chuneniu transcriptomemetabolomeanalysisrevealsthatcrossbreedingimprovesmeatqualityinhusheepandtheirfsub1subgenerationsheep AT zhiguanggeng transcriptomemetabolomeanalysisrevealsthatcrossbreedingimprovesmeatqualityinhusheepandtheirfsub1subgenerationsheep AT jinxiazhang transcriptomemetabolomeanalysisrevealsthatcrossbreedingimprovesmeatqualityinhusheepandtheirfsub1subgenerationsheep AT hainashi transcriptomemetabolomeanalysisrevealsthatcrossbreedingimprovesmeatqualityinhusheepandtheirfsub1subgenerationsheep AT zhenghanchen transcriptomemetabolomeanalysisrevealsthatcrossbreedingimprovesmeatqualityinhusheepandtheirfsub1subgenerationsheep AT ruizhang transcriptomemetabolomeanalysisrevealsthatcrossbreedingimprovesmeatqualityinhusheepandtheirfsub1subgenerationsheep AT yaojingyue transcriptomemetabolomeanalysisrevealsthatcrossbreedingimprovesmeatqualityinhusheepandtheirfsub1subgenerationsheep |