Characteristics of Deposition of Inosine Monophosphate(IMP) and Intramuscular Fat(IMF) in Muscles of Jinghai Yellow Chicken and Its Crossbreeds

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of deposition of inosine monophosphate （IMP） and intramuscular fat （IMF） in muscles of Jinghai yellow chickens and its crossbred.[Method] The characteristics of IMP and IMF deposition of 112-day-old Jinghai yellow chickens （J×J） and its two different 70-day- old crossbreeds （J×B and B×B） were analyzed. The IMP content in breast muscle and leg muscle were determined by HPLC. [Result] The contents of IMP and cor- rected inosine monophosphate （IMPc） in breast muscle were significantly or ex- tremely significantly higher than that in leg muscle of the chickens in the three groups whether in male or female chickens （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. There were no sig- nificant difference in the contents of IMP and IMPc between hens and roosters （P〉 0.05）. The fresh degree of breast muscle and leg muscle was 96,11%-98.16% and 87.22%-93.07%, respectively. And the fresh degree of breast muscle was higher than that of leg muscle. In the three groups, the IMF content in leg muscle was significantly higher than that in breast muscle whether in male or female chickens （P〈0.05）. The contents of IMF in breast muscle and leg muscle were 0.36%-0.75% and 1.84%-2.38%, respectively. The iMP content in breast muscle of chickens in Bx J group was extremely significantly higher than that in breast muscle of chickens in JxJ group （P〈0.01）, but the contents of IMPc and iMF of breast muscle and leg muscle of the chickens in the three groups had no significant difference （P〉0.05）. [Conclusion] To sum up, the freshness and flavor significantly differ between the breast muscle and leg muscle of chickens, but show no significant difference among the three groups.

Single-base editing in IGF2 improves meat production and intramuscular fat deposition in Liang Guang Small Spotted pigs

Background Chinese indigenous pigs are popular with consumers for their juiciness,flavour and meat quality,but they have lower meat production.Insulin-like growth factor 2(IGF2) is a maternally imprinted growth factor that promotes skeletal muscle growth by regulating cell proliferation and differentiation.A single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) within intron 3 of porcine IGF2 disrupts a binding site for the repressor,zinc finger BED-type containing 6(ZBED6),leading to up-regulation of IGF2 and causing major effects on muscle growth,heart size,and backfat thickness.This favorable mutation is common in Western commercial pig populations,but absent in most Chinese indigenous pig breeds.To improve meat production of Chinese indigenous pigs,we used cytosine base editor 3(CBE3)to introduce IGF2 intron3-C3071T mutation into porcine embryonic fibroblasts(PEFs) isolated from a male Liang Guang Small Spotted pig(LGSS),and single-cell clones harboring the desired mutation were selected for somatic cell nuclear transfer(SCNT) to generate the founder line of IGF2^(T/T) pigs.Results We found the heterozygous progeny IGF2^(C/T) pigs exhibited enhanced expression of IGF2,increased lean meat by 18%-36%,enlarged loin muscle area by 3%-17%,improved intramuscular fat(IMF) content by 18%-39%,marbling score by 0.75-1,meat color score by 0.53-1.25,and reduced backfat thickness by 5%-16%.The enhanced accumulation of intramuscular fat in IGF2^(C/T) pigs was identified to be regulated by the PI3K-AKT/AMPK pathway,which activated SREBP1 to promote adipogenesis.Conclusions We demonstrated the introduction of IGF2-intron3-C3071T in Chinese LGSS can improve both meat production and quality,and first identified the regulation of IMF deposition by IGF2 through SREBP1 via the PI3KAKT/AMPK signaling pathways.Our study provides a further understanding of the biological functions of IGF2and an example for improving porcine economic traits through precise base editing.

Developmental Changes of the FAS and HSL mRNA Expression and Their Effects on the Content of Intramuscular Fat in Kazak and Xinjiang Sheep

Twenty-four male Kazak sheep and 30 Xinjiang fine wool sheep at different ages were selected to investigate the development-dependent expression levels of fatty acid synthase （FAS） gene and hormone-sensitive lipase （HSL） gene in muscle and their effects on the contents of intramuscular fat （IMF）. Longissimus dorsal muscle was sampled to measure IMF and total RNA was extracted to determine FAS and HSL mRNA expression levels by real-time PCR. The results showed that： l） The IMF content increased continuously with growth and showed significant differences （P 〈 0.05） between different age groups in male Kazak sheep, but in Xinjiang fine wool sheep there was no such difference observed. Furthermore, the IMF contents in Kazak were much higher （P 〈 0.01） than that of the other breed from day 30 to 90. 2） FAS mRNA expression level was the highest （P 〈 0.05） on day 0 in Kazak sheep and then declined with growth, in the other breed the gene showed a d‘ecline-rise-decline-rise＇ expression manner as the animals grew. HSL mRNA expression level had a similar model in two breeds, in Kazak sheep it was the highest on day 0 （P 〈 0.05） and in Xinjiang fine wool sheep on day 30 （P 〈 0.01）, then both decreased after this term. 3） In male Kazak sheep, FAS and HSL mRNA expression level were both negatively related to IMF content （r= -0.485 （P = 0.02）, r= -0.423 （P = 0.05））, and the ratio of FAS/HSL expression exhibited significantly negatively related IMF contents. In male Xinjiang sheep, there were no obvious relationship between FAS and HSL expression and IMF content （P 〉 0.05）.

Linoleic acid metabolic pathway allows for an efficient increase of intramuscular fat content in pigs

Background: Intramuscular fat(IMF) content is a relevant trait for high-quality meat products such as dry-cured ham,but increasing IMF has the undesirable correlated effect of decreasing lean growth.Thus,there is a need to find selection criteria for IMF independent from lean growth.In pigs,the proportion of linoleic(C18:2) and arachidonic(C20:4) acids decline with fat deposition and therefore they can be considered as indicators of fatness.The aim of this research was to estimate the genetic variation for C18:2 and C20:4 in IMF and their genetic correlations with IMF and lean growth traits,with the objective to assess their potential as specific biomarkers of IMF.The analysis was conducted using a full-pedigreed Duroc resource line with 91,448 records of body weight and backfat thickness(BT) at 180 days of age and 1371 records of fatty acid composition in the muscle gluteus medius.Results: The heritability estimates for C18:2 and C20:4 in IMF,whether expressed in absolute(mg/g of muscle) or in relative(mg/g of fatty acid) terms,as well as for their ratio(C20:4/C18:2),were high(> 0.40),revealing that the C18:2 to C20:4 pathway is subjected to substantial genetic influence.Litter effects were not negligible,with values ranging from8% to 15% of the phenotypic variance.The genetic correlations of C18:2 and C20:4 with IMF and BT were negative(-0.75 to-0.66,for IMF,and-0.64 to-0.36,for BT),if expressed in relative values,but almost null(-0.04 to 0.07),if expressed in absolute values,except for C18:2 with IMF,which was highly positive(0.88).The ratio of C20:4 to C18:2 also displayed a stronger genetic correlation with IMF(-0.59) than with BT(-0.10).Conclusions: The amount of C18:2 in muscle can be used as an IMF-specific biomarker.Selection for the absolute amount of C18:2 is expected to deliver a similar response outcome as selection for IMF at restrained BT.Further genetic analysis of the C18:2 metabolic pathway may provide new insights into differential fat deposition among adipose tissues and on candidate genes for molecular markers targeting specifically for one of them.

Changes of Intramuscular Fat Composition,Lipid Oxidation and Lipase Activity in Biceps femoris and Semimembranosus of Xuanwei Ham During Controlled Salting Stages

Fatty acid composition of neutral lipids （NLs）, phospholipids （PLs） and free fatty acids （FFAs） from intramuscular fat （IMF）, lipid oxidation and lipase activity in muscle Semimembranosus （SM） and msucle Biceps femoris （BF） of dry-cured Xuanwei ham during the 90-d salting stages were analysed. The salt content increased from 0.34 to 3.52%in BF and from 0.10 to 5.42%in SM during the 90 d salting stage, respectively. PLs of IMF in both BF and SM decreased 54.70%（P〈0.001） and 34.64%（P〈0.05）, furthermore, the saturated fatty acids （SFA）, monounsaturated fatty acids （MUFA） and polyunsaturated fatty acids （PUFA） of PLs in both muscles were hydrolysed almost isochronously. FFAs were increased from 0.46 g 100 g-1 lipids to 2.92 g 100 g-1 lipids in BF at the end of salting, which was lower than SM （from 1.29 g 100 g-1 lipids to 9.70 g 100 g-1 lipids）. The activities of acid lipase, neutral lipase and acid phospholipase all remained active in the 90 d. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances （TBARS） was slowly increased to 1.34 mg kg-1 muscle in BF and to 2.44 mg kg-1 muscle in SM during the salting stage. In conclusion, the controlled salting process prompted the hydrolysis of PLs of IMF notably and increased the lipid oxidation of muscles within some limits.

A Review of Factors Influencing Intramuscular Fat Content in Porcine Meat

Intramuscular fat （IMF）, an important flavor precursor of porcine meat, is closely related to pork quality traits such as pH, color, tenderness, water-holding capacity （WHC） and juiciness, and thus is one of the important factors affecting pork quality. Pork IMF content is not only associated with swine breed on heredity, but also influenced by the alteration of nutrients in diet. These may give a possibility for researchers to improve the IMF content and pork quality by their work on swine breed or heredity, and nutrition regulation in diet. Therefore, this article summarizes the effects of swine breed and nutrition regulation on IMF content briefly to provide some information for future researches.

A selected population study reveals the biochemical mechanism of intramuscular fat deposition in chicken meat

Background:Increasing intramuscular fat(IMF)is an important strategy to improve meat quality,but the regulation mechanism of IMF deposition needs to be systematically clarified.Results:A total of 520 chickens from a selected line with improved IMF content and a control line were used to investigate the biochemical mechanism of IMF deposition in chickens.The results showed that the increased IMF would improve the flavor and tenderness quality of chicken meat.IMF content was mainly determined both by measuring triglyceride(TG)and phospholipid(PLIP)in muscle tissue,but only TG content was found to be decisive for IMF deposition.Furthermore,the increase in major fatty acid(FA)components in IMF is mainly derived from TGs(including C16:0,C16:1,C18:1n9c,and C18:2n6c,etc.),and the inhibition of certain very-long-chain FAs would help to IMF/TG deposition.Conclusions:Our study elucidated the underlying biochemical mechanism of IMF deposition in chicken:Prevalent accumulation of long-chain FAs and inhibitions of medium-chain FAs and very long chain FA would jointly result in the increase of TGs with the FA biosynthesis and cellular uptake ways.Our findings will guide the production of high-quality chicken meat.

The relationship between body mass index, thickness of subcutaneous fat, and the gluteus muscle as the intramuscular injection site

An intramuscular injection (IMI) is an injection given directly into the central area of a specific muscle. Certain medicines need to be administered by the gluteal route for these to be effective. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of body mass index (BMI), subcutaneous fat, and muscular thickness of the dorsogluteal IMI site among healthy Japanese women. There were 39 healthy female subjects who volunteered and met the criteria. Their ages ranged from 40s to 60s (50.82 ± 6.04). With the data collected using the B-mode ultrasound images of the dorsogluteal site, it was found that the distance from the epidermis to the under-fascia (DEUF) of the gluteus maximus was dissimilar between the subject’s right and left buttocks. It was found that the distance from the epidermis to the iliac bone (DEI) was significantly more on the right than on the left buttocks. In the case of an adult Japanese woman with a BMI of 21 or more, the DEUF of the gluteus medius was found to be about 30 mm, and the DEI was approximately 50 mm or more. Based on these findings, it is recommended that a needle length of 38 mm (1.5 inches) can be safely used to administer IMIs to the gluteus medius muscle to effectively and efficiently deliver medications through the IMI route.

In vivo prediction of intramuscular fat in pigs using computed tomography

One hundred and four pure-bred Norwegian Duroc boars were CT (computed tomography) scanned to predict the in vivo intramuscular fat percentage in the loin. The animals were slaughtered and the loin was cut commercially. A muscle sample of the m. Longissimus dorsi was sampled and analyzed by the use of near-infrared spectroscopy. Data from CT images were collected using an in-house MATLAB script. Calibration models were made using PLS (partial least square) regression, containing independent data from CT images and dependent data from near-infrared spectroscopy. The data set used for calibration was a subset of 72 animals. The calibration models were validated using a subset of 32 animals. Scaling of independent data and filtering using median filtering were tested to improve predictions. The results showed that CT is not a feasible method for in vivo prediction of intramuscular content in swine.

Dietary calcium supplementation promotes the accumulation of intramuscular fat

Background:In the livestock industry,intramuscular fat content is a key factor affecting meat quality.Many studies have shown that dietary calcium supplementation is closely related to lipid metabolism.However,few studies have examined the relationship between dietary calcium supplementation and intramuscular fat accumulation.Methods:Here,we used C2C12 cells,C57BL/6 mice(n=8)and three-way cross-breeding pigs(Duroc×Landrace×Large white)(n=10)to study the effect of calcium addition on intramuscular fat accumulation.In vitro,we used calcium chloride to adjust the calcium levels in the medium(2 mmol/L or 3 mmol/L).Then we measured various indicators.In vivo,calcium carbonate was used to regulate calcium levels in feeds(Mice:0.5%calcium or 1.2%calcium)(Pigs:0.9%calcium or 1.5%calcium).Then we tested the mice gastrocnemius muscle triglyceride content,pig longissimus dorsi muscle meat quality and lipidomics.Results:In vitro,calcium addition(3 mmol/L)had no significant effect on cell proliferation,but promoted the differentiation of C2C12 cells into slow-twitch fibers.Calcium supplementation increased triglyceride accumulation in C2C12 cells.Calcium addition increased the number of mitochondria and also increased the calcium level in the mitochondria and reduced the of key enzymes activity involved inβ-oxidation such as acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase.Decreasing mitochondrial calcium level can alleviate lipid accumulation induced by calcium addition.In addition,calcium addition also reduced the glycolytic capacity and glycolytic conversion rate of C2C12 cells.In vivo,dietary calcium supplementation(1.2%)promoted the accumulation of triglycerides in the gastrocnemius muscle of mice.Dietary calcium supplementation(1.5%)had no effect on pig weight,but significantly improved the flesh color of the longissimus dorsi muscle,reduced the backfat thickness and increased intramuscular fat content in pigs.Besides,calcium addition had no effect on longissimus dorsi pH,electrical conductivity and shear force.Conclusions:These results suggest that calcium addition promotes intramuscular fat accumulation by inhibiting the oxidation of fatty acids.These findings provide a new tool for increasing intramuscular fat content and an economical strategy for improving meat quality.

Lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation levels determined adipogenesis and fat accumulation in adipose tissue in pigs

Background Excessive backfat deposition lowering carcass grade is a major concern in the pig industry,especially in most breeds of obese type pigs.The mechanisms involved in adipogenesis and fat accumulation in pigs remain unclear.Lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation(Khib),is a novel protein post-translational modification(PTM),which play an important role in transcription,energy metabolism and metastasis of cancer cells,but its role in adipogenesis and fat accumulation has not been shown.Results In this study,we first analyzed the modification levels of acetylation(Kac),Khib,crotonylation(Kcr)and succinylation(Ksu)of fibro-adipogenic progenitors(FAPs),myogenic precursors(Myo)and mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)with varied differentiation potential,and found that only Khib modification in FAPs was significantly higher than that in MSCs.Consistently,in parallel with its regulatory enzymes lysine acetyltransferase 5(KAT5)and histone deacetylase 2(HDAC2)protein levels,the Khib levels increased quadratically(P<0.01)during adipogenic differentiation of FAPs.KAT5 knockdown in FAPs inhibited adipogenic differentiation,while HDAC2 knockdown enhanced adipogenic differentiation.We also demonstrated that Khib modification favored to adipogenic differentiation and fat accumulation by comparing Khib levels in FAPs and backfat tissues both derived from obese-type pigs(Laiwu pigs)and lean-type pigs(Duroc pigs),respectively.Accordingly,the expression patterns of KAT5 and HDAC2 matched well to the degree of backfat accumulation in obese-and lean-type pigs.Conclusions From the perspective of protein translational modification,we are the first to reveal the role of Khib in adipogenesis and fat deposition in pigs,and provided new clues for the improvement of fat accumulation and distribution as expected via genetic selection and nutritional strategy in obese-type pigs.

黄羽肉鸡IMF选择与遗传参数估计

利用家系选择的方法，对黄羽肉鸡90日龄胸肌肌内脂肪含量（IMF）进行了4个世代的选择；采用动物模型（样本数N=632～1084）和MTDFREML软件对部分肉质性状进行了遗传力（h^2）和遗传相关（r）估计。试验结果表明：经过4个世代的选择，G4代比G0代IMF含量提高了17．8％（P〈0．01），变异系数由29．59％降低到21．72％。胸肌IMF含量的估计遗传力h^2=0．220，4个世代的平均实现遗传力h^2=0．322，初步说明IMF含量为中等遗传力性状，可以通过选择提高。腹脂重、腹脂率、脂带宽、皮脂厚、冠高、冠厚、90日龄体重等性状的遗传力在0．08～0．54范围内，胸肌IMF、腿肌IMF与腹脂重等性状间呈遗传正相关。

A-FABP和H-FABP基因多态位点及聚合基因型对白耳鸡胸肌肌内脂肪含量(IMF)的效应分析

研究采用PCR-SSCP方法检测白耳鸡A-FABP基因外显子1和H-FABP基因内含子2区域单核苷酸突变位点,并分析多态位点不同基因型及聚合基因型与90日龄胸肌肌内脂肪(IMF)含量的关联。结果在A-FABP基因外显子1和H-FABP基因内含子2处分别检测到C51T和C1523T突变,突变均产生3种基因型(TT/TC/CC),各等位基因频率均处于H-W平衡状态。关联分析和基因型效应分析结果表明多态位点与胸肌IMF含量显著相关(P<0.05),A-FABP基因和H-FABP基因不同基因型对白耳鸡胸肌IMF含量的加性效应分别为0.265和0.207,显性效应分别为0.042和0.021,主效应指数(MEI)分别为8.99%和6.93%。TT为两种有利单基因型,对胸肌IMF含量具有显著的正向贡献率(CP:8.23%,6.17%,P<0.05),其对应的个体胸肌IMF含量为3.350%和3.286%。两种有利单基因型聚合个体TT/TT的胸肌IMF含量为3.660%,显著高于其他基因型聚合个体(P<0.05)。

SCD和PPAR_γ基因在延边黄牛血液中的表达及其与IMF及TG含量的关系

为了研究脂肪代谢相关基因表达在不同肉质性状延边黄牛血液中的差异,试验选择20头延边黄牛按照高档牛肉生产模式统一饲养管理,根据它们的大理石花纹等级高低分为H组和L组。应用RT-PCR方法测定延边黄牛血液中硬脂酰辅酶A去饱和酶(SCD)和过氧化氢酶体激活增殖受体γ(PPARγ)基因的表达丰度,另外分析了背最长肌肌内脂肪(IMF)和三酰甘油(TG)含量。结果表明:H组IMF和TG含量极显著和显著高于L组(P<0.01和P<0.05),H组个体血液中SCD和PPARγ表达丰度呈现出高于L组的趋势。IMF和TG含量随着大理石花纹等级的增加呈现上升趋势,SCD和PPARγ基因均可在血液中表达,并且延边黄牛血液中SCD和PPARγ基因表达水平随背最长肌IMF和TG含量的升高呈现增加的趋势。

饲粮营养水平对猪背最长肌IMF含量及部分相关因子的影响

试验选用84头体重接近10 kg的杜洛克×长白×大约克三元杂交(DLY)阉公猪,随机分成2组,每组6个重复,每个重复7头猪。研究在NRC(1998)标(准对照组)和荣昌猪饲养标(准试验组)2种饲粮条件下,营养水平对DLY生长肥育期血液胰岛素、背最长肌IMFc、AMPI、R含量及ACC mRNA表达量的影响。结果表明:①荣昌猪饲养标准下,各阶段试验组背最长肌肌内脂肪含量均高于对照组,50kg时达到了显著水平(P<0.05)。②试验组背最长肌cAMP水平50kg时低于对照组(P<0.01);IR含量80kg时显著低于对照组(P<0.05)。

Developmental Changes of the LPL mRNA Expression and Its Effect on IMF Content in Sheep Muscle

This study investigates the developmental changes of the lipoprotein lipase （LPL） mRNA level in sheep muscle and its effect on intramuscular fat （IMF） accumulation. Male Kazak and Xinjiang Merino sheep at 2-120 days old were selected. Six animals of each breed were slaughtered at 2, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days （only the Xinjiang Merino sheep at 120-day old were available） to collect samples from longissimus dorsi muscle for the purpose of determining the IMF content and extracting total RNA that was used to investigate the developmental changes of the LPL mRNA expression by real-time PCR. The results showed that in male Kazak sheep, the IMF content increased with the progress of development and there were significant differences （P〈0.05） between the age groups. However, there was no difference （P〉0.05） between age groups in Xinjiang Merino sheep. Furthermore, the IMF content of the male Kazak sheep was significantly higher （P 〈 0.01） than that of the Xinjiang Merino sheep aged from 30 to 90 days. The highest LPL mRNA expression appeared at day 2 and it was significantly higher than that of all other age groups （P 〈 0.01）, while animals at 60-day old had the lowest LPL mRNA expression in the male Kazak sheep. In Xinjiang Merino sheep, the highest one occurred at 30-day old （P〈0.01）, followed by a continuous decrease to the lowest level at 90-day old, and then it started to increase slightly. At 2 to 60-day old, the LPL mRNA expression was negatively correlated to the IMF content （r=-0.625, P 〈 0.05） in male Kazak sheep, but no such relationship was detected in the male Xinjiang Merino sheep.

Surplus dietary isoleucine intake enhanced monounsaturated fatty acid synthesis and fat accumulation in skeletal muscle of finishing pigs

Background: Isoleucine(Ile) has been implicated in the regulation of energy homeostasis and adipogenesis.However,the impact of surplus dietary Ile intake on muscle lipogenesis remains unknown.The present study aimed to investigate the impact of dietary supplementation of extra-Ile on lipogenesis,fatty acid profile and lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle in finishing pigs.Methods: Forty-eight barrows with initial body weight of 77.0 ± 0.1 kg were allotted to one of two groups and fed diets containing 0.39%,0.53% standardized ileal digestible(SID) Ile with six replicates per treatment and four pigs per replicate for 30 d.Results: Dietary Ile intake significantly improved the intramuscular fat(IMF) content and monounsaturated fatty acid(MUFA) concentration in the skeletal muscle(P < 0.05),and decreased the drip loss and shear force(P < 0.05) without influencing the growth performance of pigs(P > 0.05).Moreover,the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase α(AMPKα) and acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase(ACC) proteins that monitor lipid metabolism were decreased in skeletal muscle of pigs offered extra-Ile diet(P < 0.05).The mRNA expression of adipose-specific genes adipocyte determination and differentiation factor 1(ADD1),fatty acid synthase(FAS),and stearoyl-CoA desaturase(SCD) were upregulated and the activity of SCD was increased as well(P < 0.05).Conclusions: Surplus dietary Ile intake could increase IMF accumulation and MUFA synthesis in skeletal muscle through depressing the phosphorylation of AMPKα-ACC and stimulating the expression and activity of SCD,and increasing the capability of lipogenesis in skeletal muscle.

GHR缺失突变对隐性白羽鸡肌肉组织学特性和IMF的影响

生长激素受体(GHR)基因缺失突变导致鸡体型矮小,骨骼肌生长发育受阻。为了进一步研究GHR缺失突变对肌肉组织学特性和肌内脂肪(IMF)沉积的影响,以GHR缺失突变导致的生长发育受阻的矮小型隐性白羽鸡为研究对象,以正常型鸡为参照,对其7周龄的肌肉组织学特性和肌内脂肪含量进行了测定。结果表明,矮小型隐性白羽鸡的IMF含量14.28%明显高于正常型鸡11.85%,差异极显著(P<0.01),显示矮小型鸡的肌内脂肪沉积能力高于正常型鸡;矮小型鸡的肌纤维直径极显著降低,肌纤维密度显著升高,表明矮小型隐性白羽鸡的肌肉组织学特性发生重大变化。GHR缺失突变所引起的上述变化对肌肉品质的改善有利。

The regulation of IMF deposition in pectoralis major of fast-and slow-growing chickens at hatching

Background： The lipid from egg yolk is largely consumed in supplying the energy for embryonic growth until hatching. The remaining lipid in the yolk sac is transported into the hatchling＇s tissues. The gene expression profiles of fast-and slow-growing chickens, Arbor Acres（AA） and Beijing-You（BJY）, were determined to identify global differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways related to lipid metabolism in the pectoralis major at hatching.Results： Between these two breeds, the absolute and weight-specific amounts of total yolk energy（TYE） and intramuscular fat（IMF） content in pectoralis major of fast-growing chickens were significantly higher（P 〈 0.01,P 〈 0.01, P 〈 0.05, respectively） than those of the slow-growing breed. IMF content and u-TYE were significantly related（r = 0.9047, P 〈 0.01）. Microarray analysis revealed that gene transcripts related to lipogenesis, including PPARG, RBP7, LPL, FABP4, THRSP, ACACA, ACSS1, DGAT2, and GK, were significantly more abundant in breast muscle of fast-growing chickens than in slow-growing chickens. Conversely, the abundance of transcripts of genes involved in fatty acid degradation and glycometabolism, including ACAT1, ACOX2, ACOX3, CPT1 A, CPT2, DAK, APOO, FUT9, GCNT1,and B4 GALT3, was significantly lower in fast-growing chickens. The results further indicated that the PPAR signaling pathway was directly involved in fat deposition in pectoralis major, and other upstream pathways（Hedgehog, TGFbeta, and cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction signaling pathways） play roles in its regulation of the expression of related genes.Conclusions： Additional energy from the yolk sac is transported and deposited as IMF in the pectoralis major of chickens at hatching. Genes and pathways related to lipid metabolism（such as PPAR, Hedgehog, TGF-beta, and cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction signaling pathways） promote the deposition of IMF in the pectoralis major of fast-growing chickens compared with those that grow more slowly. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying lipid metabolism and deposition in hatchling chickens.

Quantification of intermuscular and intramuscular adipose tissue using magnetic resonance imaging after neurodegenerative disorders

Ectopic adiposity has gained considerable attention because of its tight association with metabolic and cardiovascular health in persons with spinal cord injury（SCI）. Ectopic adiposity is characterized by the storage of adipose tissue in non-subcutaneous sites. Magnetic resonance imaging（MRI） has proven to be an effective tool in quantifying ectopic adiposity and provides the opportunity to measure different adipose depots including intermuscular adipose tissue（IMAT） and intramuscular adipose tissue（Intra MAT） or intramuscular fat（IMF）. It is highly important to distinguish and clearly define these compartments, because controversy still exists on how to accurately quantify these adipose depots. Investigators have relied on separating muscle from fat pixels based on their characteristic signal intensities. A common technique is plotting a threshold histogram that clearly separates between muscle and fat peaks. The cut-offs to separate between muscle and fat peaks are still not clearly defined and different cut-offs have been identified. This review will outline and compare the Midpoint and Otsu techniques, two methods used to determine the threshold between muscle and fat pixels on T1 weighted MRI. The process of water/fat segmentation using the Dixon method will also be outlined. We are hopeful that this review will trigger more research towards accurately quantifying ectopic adiposity due to its high relevance to cardiometabolic health after SCI.