Identification of functional genes affecting meat quality traits in Jianshui yellow-brown duck based on WGCNA method

NI Bin; ZHANG Kang; ZHU Li; TANG Lin; LI Xinpeng; GOU Xiao; KONG Xiaoyan

doi:10.13557/j.cnki.issn1002-2813.2025.10.014

Abstract：The study aimed to identify functional genes related to meat quality traits of Jianshui yellow-brown duck through transcriptome sequencing data.The weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA)method was used to cluster gene expression modules across seven tissues of Jianshui yellow-brown duck,including liver,subcutaneous fat,breast muscle,spleen,lung,kidney,and leg muscle.Gene ontology(GO)and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were conducted to identify target modules associated with meat quality traits.The Cytoscape software was used to construct a Protein-Protein Interaction(PPI)regulatory network.By integrating literature reviews and functional enrichment analysis,key functional genes influencing meat quality traits were identified.The results showed that a total of 5 402 genes were obtained from all tissues,5 402 annotated genes were clustered into 16 modules,among which the black and cyan modules might be associated with meat quality traits,marking them as target modules.The results of literature review and functional enrichment analysisshow that the genes for Myogenic factor 5(MYF5),Like-glycosyltransferase 1(LARGE1),Collagen type Ⅰ α2 chain(COL1A2),Myosin binding protein C1(MYBPC1),and Myosin light chain 3(MYL3)in the target modules are not only among the TOP 10 core genes but also enriched in GO terms related to muscle structure development,skeletal system development,and tissue regeneration,and exhibit high expression levels in breast and leg muscles.The results showed that MYF5,LARGE1,COL1A2,MYBPC1,and MYL3 are considered functional genes affecting meat quality traits in Jianshui yellow-brown ducks.