The Characterization and Differential Analysis of m6A Methylation in Hycole Rabbit Muscle and Adipose Tissue and Prediction of Regulatory Mechanism about Intramuscular Fat

Gang Luo; Yaotian Ai; Lin Yu; Shuhui Wang; Zhanjun Ren

doi:10.3390/ani13030446

The Characterization and Differential Analysis of m⁶A Methylation in Hycole Rabbit Muscle and Adipose Tissue and Prediction of Regulatory Mechanism about Intramuscular Fat

Animals (Basel). 2023 Jan 28;13(3):446. doi: 10.3390/ani13030446.

Authors

Gang Luo¹, Yaotian Ai¹, Lin Yu¹, Shuhui Wang¹, Zhanjun Ren¹

Affiliation

¹ College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China.

Abstract

N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) widely participates in various life processes of animals, including disease, memory, growth and development, etc. However, there is no report on m⁶A regulating intramuscular fat deposition in rabbits. In this study, m⁶A modification of Hycole rabbit muscle and adipose tissues were detected by MeRIP-Seq. In this case, 3 methylases and 12 genes modified by m⁶A were found to be significantly different between muscle and adipose tissues. At the same time, we found 3 methylases can regulate the expression of 12 genes in different ways and the function of 12 genes is related to fat deposition base on existing studies. 12 genes were modified by m⁶A methylase in rabbit muscle and adipose tissues. These results suggest that 3 methylases may regulate the expression of 12 genes through different pathways. In addition, the analysis of results showed that 6 of the 12 genes regulated eight signaling pathways, which regulated intramuscular fat deposition. RT-qPCR was used to validate the sequencing results and found the expression results of RT-qPCR and sequencing results are consistent. In summary, METTL4, ZC3H13 and IGF2BP2 regulated intramuscular fat by m⁶A modified gene/signaling pathways. Our work provided a new molecular basis and a new way to produce rabbit meat with good taste.

Keywords: Hycole rabbit; gene expression; intramuscula fat; m6A; methylase.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Yangling Demonstration Area Industry University research and application collaborative innovation major project (1017cxy-15), Research, development, demonstration and promotion of key technologies for efficient and healthy rabbit breeding (K3360218032), Key technologies of large-scale and standardized healthy breeding of rabbits (K3370220034), Integrated promotion of technological innovation for improving quality and efficiency of rabbit industry (K3030821029) and Integration and demonstration of rabbit breeding and factory breeding technology (2018ZDXM-NY-041).