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The Characterization and Differential Analysis of m6A Methylation in Hycole Rabbit Muscle and Adipose Tissue and
Gang Luo1, Yaotian Ai1, Lin Yu1
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China.
Abstract:
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) widely participates in various life processes of animals, including disease, memory, growth and development, etc. However, there is no report on m6A regulating intramuscular fat deposition in rabbits. In this study, m6A modification of Hycole rabbit muscle and adipose tissues were detected by MeRIP-Seq. In this case, 3 methylases and 12 genes modified by m6A were found to be significantly different between muscle and adipose tissues. At the same time, we found 3 methylases can regulate the expression of 12 genes in different ways and the function of 12 genes is related to fat deposition base on existing studies. 12 genes were modified by m6A methylase in rabbit muscle and adipose tissues. These results suggest that 3 methylases may regulate the expression of 12 genes through different pathways. In addition, the analysis of results showed that 6 of the 12 genes regulated eight signaling pathways, which regulated intramuscular fat deposition. RT-qPCR was used to validate the sequencing results and found the expression results of RT-qPCR and sequencing results are consistent. In summary, METTL4, ZC3H13 and IGF2BP2 regulated intramuscular fat by m6A modified gene/signaling pathways. Our work provided a new molecular basis and a new way to produce rabbit meat with good taste.
Insights
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulates intramuscular fat deposition in rabbits. METTL4, ZC3H13, and IGF2BP2 were identified as key regulators, offering new insights for producing high-quality rabbit meat.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics and molecular biology
- Animal science and genetics
- Food science and nutrition
Background:
- N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a crucial epitranscriptomic modification involved in diverse biological processes in animals.
- Intramuscular fat deposition significantly impacts meat quality and economic value in rabbits.
- The role of m6A in regulating intramuscular fat in rabbits remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of m6A modification in regulating intramuscular fat deposition in Hycole rabbits.
- To identify specific m6A methylases and target genes involved in fat deposition.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which m6A influences fat metabolism in rabbits.
Main Methods:
- MeRIP-Seq was employed to detect m6A modification patterns in rabbit muscle and adipose tissues.
- Bioinformatic analysis was used to identify differentially modified genes and methylases.
- RT-qPCR was performed to validate the expression levels of key genes.
Main Results:
- Three m6A methylases (METTL4, ZC3H13, IGF2BP2) and 12 target genes showed significant differences between muscle and adipose tissues.
- These 12 genes, regulated by m6A, are functionally related to fat deposition.
- Six of these genes were found to regulate eight signaling pathways implicated in intramuscular fat deposition.
Conclusions:
- METTL4, ZC3H13, and IGF2BP2 play significant roles in regulating intramuscular fat deposition in rabbits via m6A modification of genes and signaling pathways.
- This study provides a novel molecular basis for understanding fat deposition in rabbits.
- The findings offer a new avenue for improving rabbit meat quality through targeted epigenetic modifications.
