Integrated lncRNA and mRNA Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Candidate Regulatory Networks Associated with Postnatal Longissimus Dorsi Muscle Development in Hanper Sheep
TL;DR
Functional enrichment analyses showed that differentially expressed mRNAs and co-expressed mRNAs associated with differentially expressed lncRNAs were mainly involved in RNA metabolism, translation, ribosome biogenesis, amino acid biosynthesis, energy and lipid metabolism, extracellular matrix remodeling, and cell adhesion.
Abstract
Simple Summary Skeletal muscle growth strongly influences meat production and meat quality in sheep, but the molecular changes that occur during postnatal muscle development are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the gene activity of Longissimus Dorsi muscle in Hanper sheep at 1, 7, and 13 months of age using RNA sequencing. We focused on both protein-coding genes and long non-coding RNAs, which are RNA molecules that do not produce proteins but may be involved in regulating gene activity. Clear age-related changes were observed in both types of RNA, with the largest differences occurring between 1 and 13 months of age. The associated genes and biological processes were mainly related to protein production, energy and fat metabolism, growth signaling, cell adhesion, and remodeling of muscle structure. Several candidate genes and long non-coding RNA-associated networks were also identified for future study. These findings improve our understanding of how sheep muscle develops after birth and provide useful molecular information for future research on muscle growth and meat-production traits in Hanper sheep.