Transcriptomic analysis identifies hub genes involved in age-dependent abdominal fat development in chickens.

ABSTRACT: Excessive accumulation of abdominal fat (AF) reduces feed efficiency and carcass yield, posing a significant challenge to the poultry industry. However, the molecular network underlying age-dependent AF development remains unclear, despite some recent progress. In this study, we quantified the abdominal adipocyte area and sequenced 20 AF transcriptomes from eight 9-week-old (9 W) and twelve 20-week-old (20 W) Wannan chickens. The abdominal adipocyte area increased significantly at 20 W compared with 9 W (p < 0.001). Differentially expressed gene analysis between the two age groups revealed 235 up-regulated and 206 down-regulated genes in the 20 W. Enrichment analysis revealed the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, cell adhesion molecules, TGF-beta signaling pathway, and biological pro

SUBMITTER: Wei W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12919248 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature