Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Signatures of Fat Deposition Following Orchiectomy in Yak

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Metabolic Regulation
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Fat deposition is crucial for yak metabolism, reproduction, and meat quality.
• Castration is a common practice in male yak management to improve production performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of castration on fat deposition characteristics in male yaks.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying castration-induced changes in yak fat metabolism.

Main Methods:

• Measurement of subcutaneous fat thickness.
• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for fatty acid analysis.
• mRNA sequencing and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for transcriptome and metabolome analysis.
• Integrative analysis of multi-omics data.

Main Results:

• Castration significantly increased fat deposition and enhanced fatty acid content, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).
• Transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed significant differences between castrated and intact male yaks.
• Castration's effects are linked to the PPAR signaling pathway, citrate cycle, and insulin resistance.

Conclusions:

• Castration positively influences fat deposition and fatty acid profiles in male yaks.
• Specific genes such as FASN, ACACA, and FADS2 were identified as crucial regulators of fat amount and PUFA content.
• Further research is warranted to explore the precise roles of these identified genes in yak adipose tissue.