Insights into the differences in meat quality among different sheep breeds in the Qilian Mountains from the perspective of metabolomics and transcriptomics

This study investigated the differences in meat quality between Gansu Alpine fine wool sheep (GG) and Tianhua mutton sheep (TH) while exploring the underlying regulatory mechanisms through transcriptomic, targeted metabolomic, and untargeted metabolomic analyses. The results revealed that TH exhibited superior meat quality compared to GG, particularly in tenderness, amino acid and fatty acid composition, and antioxidant capacity. Key regulatory factors, including genes such as FABP4, PLIN1, and PCK1, and metabolites such as L-valine, histidine, and pantothenic acid, were identified as critical in modulating muscle tenderness and nutrient composition. Furthermore, critical pathways, including lipolysis regulation in adipocytes, general metabolic pathways, and the AMPK signaling pathway, were implicated in meat quality modulation. These findings provide valuable molecular insights into the mechanisms governing lamb meat quality development. [Display omitted]