The Characterization and Differential Analysis of m(6)A Methylation in Hycole Rabbit Muscle and Adipose Tissue and Prediction of Regulatory Mechanism about Intramuscular Fat

SIMPLE SUMMARY: At present, one of the main problems hindering the development of rabbit industry is the low intramuscular fat of rabbits. N6-methyladenosine (m(6)A) is a highly dynamic RNA modification, which plays an important regulatory role in various physiological processes of animals. Sequencing rabbit longissimus lumborum muscle and perirenal fat by MeRIP-seq (methylated RNA immunoprecipitation with next-generation sequencing), we provided key prediction pathway for producing rabbit meat with good taste. ABSTRACT: N6-methyladenosine (m(6)A) widely participates in various life processes of animals, including disease, memory, growth and development, etc. However, there is no report on m(6)A regulating intramuscular fat deposition in rabbits. In this study, m(6)A modification of Hycole rabbit muscle and adipose tissues were detected by MeRIP-Seq. In this case, 3 methylases and 12 genes modified by m(6)A were found to be significantly different between muscle and adipose tissues. At the same time, we found 3 methylases can regulate the expression of 12 genes in different ways and the function of 12 genes is related to fat deposition base on existing studies. 12 genes were modified by m(6)A methylase in rabbit muscle and adipose tissues. These results suggest that 3 methylases may regulate the expression of 12 genes through different pathways. In addition, the analysis of results showed that 6 of the 12 genes regulated eight signaling pathways, which regulated intramuscular fat deposition. RT-qPCR was used to validate the sequencing results and found the expression results of RT-qPCR and sequencing results are consistent. In summary, METTL4, ZC3H13 and IGF2BP2 regulated intramuscular fat by m(6)A modified gene/signaling pathways. Our work provided a new molecular basis and a new way to produce rabbit meat with good taste.