Decision letter for "High‐energy diet improves growth performance, meat quality and gene expression related to intramuscular fat deposition in finishing yaks raised by barn feeding"

Abstract The amount of intramuscular fat directly influences the meat quality. However, significant differences in the ability to accumulate intramuscular fat are present among different beef cattle breeds. While Wagyu, a cattle breed that originated from Japan, is renowned for abundant intramuscular fat, Brahman cattle generally have very little intramuscular fat accumulation and produce tougher meat. We identified that bovine intramuscular fat is derived from a group of bipotent progenitor cells named fibro/adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) which also give rise to fibroblasts. Thus, the variation in intramuscular fat development between Wagyu and Brahman is likely attributed to the difference in FAPs between these two breeds. In order to understand the gene expression difference between FAPs of the two breeds, single-cell RNA-seq was performed using total single-nucleated cells isolated from the longissimus muscle of young purebred Wagyu, purebred Brahman, and Wagyu-Brahman cross cattle. FAPs constitute the largest single-nucleated cell population in both Wagyu and Brahman skeletal muscle. Multiple subpopulations of FAPs with different gene expression profiles were identified, suggesting that FAP is a heterogeneous population. A unique FAP cluster expressing lower levels of fibrillar collagen and extracellular remodeling enzyme genes but higher levels of select proadipogenic genes was identified exclusively in Wagyu skeletal muscle, which likely contributes to the robust intramuscular adipogenic efficiency of Wagyu FAPs. In conclusion, the difference in the cellular composition and gene expression of FAPs between Wagyu and Brahman cattle likely contribute to their distinct meat quality.

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Association of leptin genotype with growth performance, adipocyte cellularity, meat quality, and fatty acid profile in beef steers fed flaxseed or high-oleate sunflower seed diets with or without triticale dried distiller’s grains

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skaa104 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 98 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Maolong L He ◽

Kim Stanford ◽

Michael E R Dugan ◽

Leigh Marquess ◽

Tim A McAllister

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acid ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Meat Quality ◽

Sunflower Seed ◽

Subcutaneous Fat ◽

Fat Deposition ◽

Beef Steers ◽

Distiller's Grains ◽

Fat Thickness ◽

Barley Silage

Abstract Leptin genotypes can be identified as homozygous normal (CC), homozygous mutant (TT), and heterozygous (CT) based on a single-nucleotide polymorphism in exon 2 of the leptin gene, which has been associated with feed intake and fat deposition in cattle. The experiment was designed as 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with three main factors: (1) genotype (CT or TT) and diets fed 2) with or without triticale dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDG), and 3) with either flaxseed (FS) or high-oleate sunflower seed (SS). Evaluations included growth performance, subcutaneous fat deposition, adipocyte cellularity, meat quality, and fatty acid (FA) profile of various depots. Beef steers (n = 40, 459 ± 31 kg) of either CT or TT genotypes were housed in individual pens with ad libitum access to one of the four diets: 75% steam-rolled barley + 10% barley silage with 10% FS or SS (non-DDG diets, NDG) and 46.5% barley + 10% barley silage + 30% DDG, with 8.5% FS or SS, all on a dry matter basis. Growth performance, ultrasound subcutaneous fat thickness, rib eye area (REA), and plasma FA were measured prior to and during the finishing period. At slaughter, samples of subcutaneous fat, perirenal fat, and Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle were collected for FA analysis and carcass and meat quality were measured. Compared with CT cattle, TT tended to have less (P = 0.06) C18:2-c9,t11 (rumenic acid) in plasma and subcutaneous fat and a greater proportion (P < 0.05) of C18:0 in subcutaneous, perirenal, and LT fat. Cattle with TT genotype also tended (P < 0.1) to have more total saturated and less unsaturated (USFA) and monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and had less (P = 0.04) linoleic acid in LT. Ultrasound fat thickness, REA, and average diameter of adipocytes in subcutaneous fat at 12 wk were not affected (P > 0.39) by genotype. Generally, carcass and meat quality were similar (P > 0.1) among diets, although adding FS tended to increase (P = 0.06) total USFA of subcutaneous fat including omega-3 FA (P < 0.001). For the high-fat diets evaluated, CT cattle would have more potential to produce beef with enhanced health benefits than would TT cattle.

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