Liver Transcriptome Profiling Identifies Key Genes Related to Lipid Metabolism in Yili Geese

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Lipid is an important research topic in geese, and glucose metabolism is inevitably closely related to lipid metabolism. The liver is usually used as the study material in lipid and glucose metabolism. At present, chicken, duck, and goose are the three most widely farmed poultry species around the world, and while there is a wealth of research on lipid and glucose metabolism in the livers of chickens, studies on the liver of domestic geese remain relatively limited. In this study, we studied the liver transcriptome difference between Yili geese with a low body lipid content and their hybrid geese to analyze the differentially expressed genes in the livers using RNA-seq technology, and identified genes related to lipid and glucose metabolism, including ELOVL6, ACOT7, ADCY10, DGAT1, DHCR24, HMGCR, FDFT1, ENO2, G6PC3, and other genes. The results reveal differences in lipid and glucose metabolism in the liver of two types of geese and provide a theoretical basis for the development of methods to modulate lipid metabolism by gene regulations. ABSTRACT: The Yili goose is the only indigenous goose breed that originates from Anser anser in China, known for its adaptability, strong flying ability, and tender meat with a low body lipid content. The liver plays a crucial role in lipid and glucose metabolism, including the intake, secretion, transportation, and storage of fatty acids (FAs). In this study, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology was performed to analyze the liver differentially expressed genes of Yili geese and their hybrid geese to investigate differences in liver lipid and glucose metabolism. A total of 452 differentially expressed genes (Q-value < 0.05) were identified. Notably, in KEGG enrichment analysis, four pathways (Q-value < 0.05) were enriched to be associated with lipid and glucose metabolism, including the metabolic pathway, PI3K–Akt signaling pathway, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and steroid biosynthesis. This study provides insights into potential candidate genes and metabolic pathways that affect the liver lipid metabolism of Yili goose. These findings provide a better understanding of animal liver lipid deposition and metabolism.