Transcriptome analysis in comparing carcass and meat quality traits of Jiaxing Black Pig and Duroc × Duroc × Berkshire × Jiaxing Black Pig crosses

Qiangqiang Chen; Wei Zhang; Jianfeng Cai; Yifan Ni; Lixia Xiao; Jinzhi Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.gene.2021.145978

Transcriptome analysis in comparing carcass and meat quality traits of Jiaxing Black Pig and Duroc × Duroc × Berkshire × Jiaxing Black Pig crosses

Gene. 2022 Jan 15:808:145978. doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145978. Epub 2021 Sep 27.

Authors

Qiangqiang Chen¹, Wei Zhang², Jianfeng Cai³, Yifan Ni⁴, Lixia Xiao⁵, Jinzhi Zhang⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: 21917003@zju.edu.cn.
² Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: 21617003@zju.edu.cn.
³ College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: 21817071@zju.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
⁵ College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: 22017065@zju.edu.cn.
⁶ College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: zhangjzs@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 34592352
DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145978

Abstract

This study compares two typical strains: Chinese local excellent meat quality of Jiaxing Black (JXB) Pig and quadratic crossbred pig strain Duroc × Duroc × Berkshire × Jiaxing Black (DDBJ). It was found that between the two pig strains, carcass traits and meat quality traits differed significantly. This is exemplified by the leanness and dressing out percent of DDBJ that were significantly higher than JXB pigs of the same age (P < 0.05) and the better growth rate of DDBJ pigs as to JXB pigs was shown by quantifying muscle proliferation and differentiation of longissimus dorsi muscle employing Hematoxylin and Eosin staining of longissimus dorsi muscle. Nutrients such as inosinic acid, intramuscular fat, and free amino acids in the longissimus dorsi muscle were significantly higher in JXB pigs than DDBJ pigs (p < 0.0001); saturated fatty acids were higher in JXB than in DDBJ pigs (p = 0.0097); essential amino acids and fresh taste amino acids (serine, glutamic acid, proline, glycine, alanine) of JXB pigs was higher than that of DDBJ pigs (p < 0.0001) and amino acids in longissimus dorsi muscle of JXB pigs surpasses the amino acid concentration of DDBJ pigs (p < 0.0001), thus showing the superiority of JXB in terms of meat quality. However, the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is responsible for poor meat quality, was significantly higher in the longissimus dorsi muscle of DDBJ pig than JXB pigs (p < 0.0001); RNA-seq analysis of 5 biological replicates from two of the strains was performed. The screening of 164 up-regulated genes and 183 down-regulated genes found in longissimus dorsi muscle of DDBJ was done and the results identified differentially expressed genes related to muscle development, adipogenesis, amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and inosine synthesis. In conclusion, the study identified functional genes, elucidated the mechanisms associated with carcass quality traits, meat quality traits and other related traits, and provided means of genetic enhancement to improve meat quality traits and carcass traits in Chinese commercial pigs.

Keywords: Carcass traits; Longissimus dorsi muscle; Meat qualitys; Pig; RNA-seq.

MeSH terms

Adipose Tissue / metabolism
Animals
China
Fatty Acids / metabolism
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / metabolism
Food Quality
Gene Expression / genetics
Gene Expression Profiling / methods
Gene Expression Regulation / genetics
Lipid Metabolism
Muscle Development
Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
Phenotype
Pork Meat / analysis*
Sus scrofa / genetics*
Swine / genetics
Transcriptome / genetics

Substances

Fatty Acids
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated