SLC16A7 Promotes Triglyceride Deposition by De Novo Lipogenesis in Chicken Muscle Tissue

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Triglyceride (TG) content was decisive to intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition in poultry muscle, and IMF affected meat quality in many ways. Therefore, we identified key candidate genes affecting TG traits by a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on TG content traits. The main findings show that SLC16A7 (solute carrier family 16 member 7) was a key candidate gene affecting TG content, affecting TG deposition in myocytes through de novo lipogenesis. ABSTRACT: Triglyceride (TG) content in chicken muscle tissue signifies intramuscular fat (IMF) content, which is important for improving meat quality. However, the genetic basis of TG deposition in chicken is still unclear. Using 520 chickens from an artificially selected line with significantly increased IMF content and a control line, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) with TG content reports a region of 802 Kb located in chromosome 1. The XP-EHH and gene expression analysis together reveal that the solute carrier family 16 member A7 (SLC16A7) gene is the key candidate gene associated with TG content in chicken muscle tissue. Furthermore, the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) confirmed the regulatory effects of SLC16A7 on promoting TG deposition by de novo lipogenesis (DNL). Functional verification of SLC16A7 in vitro also supports this view, and reveals that this effect mainly occurs in myocytes. Our data highlight a potential IMF deposition pathway by DNL, induced by SLC16A7 in chicken myocytes. These findings will improve the understanding of IMF regulation in chicken and guide the formulation of breeding strategies for high-quality chicken.