RNA-Seq exploration of the influence of stress on meat quality in Spanish goats

Abstract

Studies exploring the transcriptome of stress and its effects on meat quality are very limited, particularly in goats. Fifty-four male Spanish goats (8-mo old; BW = 29.7 ± 2.03 kg) were randomly subjected to one of three treatments (TRT; n = 18 goats/treatment): (1) transported for 180 min, (2) transported for 30 min, or (3) held in pens (control) to analyze the transcriptome of stress and meat quality in goats using RNA-seq technology. Blood samples were collected before and after treatment, and meat samples were collected after humane slaughter for stress hormone, meat quality (Longissimus dorsi), and transcriptomic analysis. Plasma epinephrine concentrations were higher (P < 0.01) in 180 min and 30 min groups compared to the control group; however, norepinephrine concentrations were not affected by the treatment. Muscle glycogen concentrations (15 min postmortem) were lower (P < 0.01) in both 30 min and 180 min groups compared to the control group. Calpastatin levels were higher (P < 0.01) in 180 min and 30 min groups than the control group. Warner–Bratzler shear force values of loin chops were the highest in the 180 min group (4 ± 0.15, kg), lowest in the control group (3.51 ± 0.10, kg), and intermediate in the 30 min group (3.78 ± 0.09, kg; P < 0.01) both at day 1 and day 6 aging time. Additionally, desmin levels of day 6 samples were lowest in the control group, highest in 180 min group, and intermediate in 30 min group (P < 0.05). RNA-seq results showed that a total of 10,633 genes were differentially expressed (5194 up regulated; 5439 down regulated) among all comparisons (blood and day 1 and day 6 muscle samples). Among these differentially expressed genes (DEGs), KLF9, AMPK, FOXO3, PTX3, GADD45, PTPN1, CASP7, MAPK4, HSPA12A, and JAK-STAT were probably associated with the effects of stress on skeletal muscle proteins and involved in biological process such as cellular response to corticosteroid stimulus, endoplasmic reticulum stress, insulin resistance, DNA repair, apoptosis, MAPK cascade and regulation of proteolysis. The KEGG analysis revealed that AMPK and JAK-SAT signaling pathways and autophagy were among the top 20 enriched pathways in our treatment comparisons. The results provide an understanding of the genes and pathways involved in stress responses and related changes in postmortem muscle metabolism and meat quality characteristics in goats.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the KLF Gene Family in Chicken: Characterization and Expression Profile

“…In our research, the results in Figure 8A also showed that KLF7 and KLF8 might have a relationship with the development of muscle. RNA-Seq exploration of meat quality in Spanish goats illustrated that KLF9 was associated with the effects of stress on skeletal muscle proteins [74]. We also found that KLF9 expression levels were very high in the thigh muscle of one-day-old chicken.…”

Transcriptomic and metabolomic dissection of skeletal muscle of crossbred Chongming white goats with different meat production performance

“…Shen et al [5] performed RNA-Seq comparative transcriptome analysis of Longissimus dorsi muscle (L) from two Chinese goat breeds (Liaoning cashmere and Ziwuling black) goats with different meat production performance. RNA-Seq method have also applied to explore the influence of stress on meat quality in Spanish goats [6], as well as miRNA and mRNA Co-regulate muscle differentiation in fetal Leizhou goats [2]. Over the past decades, a range of functional genes and signaling pathways regulating skeletal muscle development and growth in farm animals have been explored [7].…”

“…In this study, we selected several groups of individuals at different growing stages (3,6, and 12 months of age) from the crossbred Chongming white goats and compared their Longissimus dorsi muscle (L) and Semitendinosus muscle (T) by RNA-seq and untargeted metabolomic analysis of the corresponding muscle tissue samples also be performed, to explore genes and metabolic markers associated with meat production performance in goats.…”