Transcriptome and 16S rRNA analysis reveal the regulatory mechanisms underlying the differences in fat deposition between distinct broiler breeds
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Updated: Nov 1, 2026

Biochemical and High Throughput Microscopic Assessment of Fat Mass in Caenorhabditis Elegans
Published on: March 30, 2013
Fang Wang1, Wei Jing1, Yuyang Xue1
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, Xinjiang, China.
Introduction:
Baicheng oil chicken (BC) is a local Chinese breed renowned for its high intramuscular fat (IMF) content and excellent flavor.
Objectives:
This study compared BC with yellow-feathered broilers (YF) to investigate the mechanisms underlying significant differences in fat deposition.
Methods:
Eight YF and eight BC samples were selected from 80 YF and 80 BC individuals of similar body weight, respectively, followed by transcriptomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing accordingly.
Results:
The results showed that compared to YF, BC of the same weight had significantly less abdominal and hepatic fat deposition but a markedly higher breast muscle IMF level. Serum TG and LDL-C levels were significantly higher in the YF group than in the BC group, whereas HDL-C levels were notable lower. 16S rRNA analysis revealed an enrichment of f_Streptococcaceae and g_Lactobacillus in the YF and BC groups, respectively. Analysis of differentially expressed genes found in both liver and ileum tissues indicated enrichment primarily in the hepatic PPARG/FABP1 and intestinal PPARA/FABP1 pathways, which also influence the gut microbiota. The BC group exhibited significantly higher expression of genes related to fatty acid uptake, synthesis, and storage in breast muscle tissue (CD36 and FABP3, ACACA and FASN, and TMEM68, DGAT2, and PLIN2), while gene expression related to fatty acid oxidation was significantly lower (CPT1A and PPARA) compared to the YF group. Concurrently, the expression of lipoprotein receptors (LDLR and SCARB1) was significantly higher in the BC group than in the YF group. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the gut microbiota was influenced by the hepatic PPARG/FABP1 and intestinal PPARA/FABP1 pathways, confirming that the gut-liver axis jointly contributed to the distinct fat deposition patterns observed in the two broiler chicken breeds.
Conclusions:
These findings have significant implications for improving chicken meat quality.
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