Differential transcriptional analysis between red and white skeletal muscle of Chinese Meishan pigs

In order to better understand and elucidate the major determinants of red and white muscle phenotypic properties, the global gene expression profiling was performed in white (longissimus doris) and red (soleus) skeletal muscle of Chinese Meishan pigs using the Affymetrix Porcine Genechip. 550 transcripts at least 1.5-fold difference were identified at p < 0.05 level, with 323 showing increased expression and 227 decreased expression in red muscle. Quantitative real-time PCR validated the differential expression of eleven genes (alpha-Actin, ART3, GATA-6, HMOX1, HSP, MYBPH, OCA2, SLC12A4, TGFB1, TGFB3 and TNX). Twenty eight signaling pathways including ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, TGF-beta signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway and cell cycle, were identified using KEGG pathway database. Our findings demonstrate previously unrecognized changes in gene transcription between red and white muscle, and some potential cascades identified in the study merit further investigation.