Transcriptomic analysis identifies hub genes involved in age-dependent abdominal fat development in chickens

Area of Science:

• Poultry genetics and molecular biology
• Animal science and nutrition
• Transcriptomics and bioinformatics

Background:

• Excessive abdominal fat (AF) negatively impacts poultry feed efficiency and carcass yield.
• The molecular mechanisms driving age-dependent AF development in chickens are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the molecular network underlying age-dependent abdominal fat accumulation in Wannan chickens.
• To identify key genes and pathways associated with increased abdominal adipocyte area and fat percentage with age.

Main Methods:

• Quantification of abdominal adipocyte area in 9-week-old and 20-week-old Wannan chickens.
• RNA sequencing of 20 abdominal fat transcriptomes.
• Differential gene expression analysis and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA).

Main Results:

• Significant increase in abdominal adipocyte area and differential expression of 441 genes between the age groups.
• WGCNA identified modules significantly correlated with adipocyte area, abdominal fat percentage, and age.
• Key genes including JUND, PAPSS2, PAK6, PIEZO2, and BUB1B were associated with age-dependent AF development.

Conclusions:

• The study elucidates molecular pathways like cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and TGF-beta signaling in age-dependent AF development.
• Identified candidate genes provide a valuable resource for future research into poultry fat deposition and metabolic regulation.