Identification of differentially expressed genes and pathways for intramuscular fat deposition in pectoralis major tissues of fast-and slow-growing chickens.

Background: Intramuscular fat (IMF) is one of the important factors influencing meat quality, however, for chickens, the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying this trait have not yet been determined. In this study, a systematic identification of candidate genes and new pathways related to IMF deposition in chicken breast tissue has been made using gene expression profiles of two distinct breeds: Beijing-you (BJY), a slow-growing Chinese breed possessing high meat quality and Arbor Acres (AA), a commercial fast-growing broiler line.

Results: Agilent cDNA microarray analyses were conducted to determine gene expression profiles of breast muscle sampled at different developmental stages of BJY and AA chickens.

[Study of single nucleotide polymorphism of A-FABP gene and its association with fatness traits in chicken].

In this experiment, Beijing-You chicken was used to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in A-FBAP gene and to study the correlation between its genotype and the trait of fat accumulation. The first exon of the gene was amplified by one pair of primers, and SNPs were detected by the technique of single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and finally confirmed by sequencing. Results of analysis of variance showed that a significant difference existed among abdominal fat percentage, subcutaneous fat thickness and intramuscular fat contents in breast musculature with different genotypes (P<0.

[Genetic parameter estimation for inosine-5-monophosphate and intramuscular fat contents and other meat quality traits in chicken muscle].

The genetic parameters for some important flavor traits like inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP) and intramuscular fat (IMF) contents in breast meat were estimated using a MTDFREML procedure on 1063 male, 90-day-old, purebred Beijing-You meat-type chicks (BJY). The result showed that the heritability of IMP and IMF contents in BJY breast meat was moderate or low (h2=0.23, 0.