Using multiomics to explore the weight differences between genders in Muscovy ducks

Jinghong Tian; Liangtian Tan; Shenghua Wei; Weijian Zhu; Congliang Ji; Zipei Yao; Yibin Xu; Qinghua Nie

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2024.103787

Using multiomics to explore the weight differences between genders in Muscovy ducks

Poult Sci. 2024 Apr 26;103(7):103787. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103787. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jinghong Tian¹, Liangtian Tan¹, Shenghua Wei¹, Weijian Zhu², Congliang Ji², Zipei Yao¹, Yibin Xu¹, Qinghua Nie³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of· Livestock· and Poultry Breeding, & Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, & Guangzhou Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, and Key Lab of Chicken Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affair, Guangzhou 510642, China.
² Wens Foodstuff Group Co. Ltd., Yunfu, Guangdong 527400, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of· Livestock· and Poultry Breeding, & Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, & Guangzhou Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, and Key Lab of Chicken Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affair, Guangzhou 510642, China. Electronic address: nqinghua@scau.edu.cn.

Abstract

Sexual dimorphism in poultry, especially in Muscovy ducks, is a proven phenomenon characterized by significant differences in body weight, growth patterns, and gene expression between male and female individuals. However, there is a dearth of research on the candidate genes and mechanisms underlying these weight differences. We selected 301 Muscovy ducks and recorded their weekly body weights from birth. We utilized 3 non-linear growth models (Logistic, Bertalanffy, and Gompertz) to fit the growth curve of Muscovy ducks, it was found that the logistic model was the most suitable model for describing the growth curve of Muscovy ducks. The results from the logistic model showed that the inflection point of male Muscovy ducks occurred at a later age, and they had a heavier mature body weight than female Muscovy ducks. At 10 wk of age, we collected Muscovy duck breast muscle tissues for transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). To exclude the impact of weight difference, 185 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), such as PPAR, FABP3, PLIN1, and FOXO1, were screened. These DEGs were predominantly enriched in terms related to mitochondria, lipids, and nucleic acids. In addition, the gut microbiota has the ability to influence host physiology through the regulation of multiple processes, including playing a crucial role in host muscle growth and development. We randomly selected male and female Muscovy ducks for 16S rRNA sequencing analysis of their cecal microbiota. The results showed that there were significant differences in the composition of cecal microbiota between male and female Muscovy ducks. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Enterenecus and CAG_269 were lower in males compared to females, while Lawsonibacter, Parabacteroides_B, Streptococcus, UBA2658, Caccousia, and Butyricimonas were higher in males than in females. In summary, this study provides a scientific theoretical basis for revealing the different growth patterns of male and female Muscovy ducks, and offers explanations from both the molecular level and microbiological perspectives.

Keywords: 16S rRNA sequencing technology; Muscovy duck; RNA-seq; growth and development; sexual dimorphism.