MiR-196a Promotes Lipid Deposition in Goat Intramuscular Preadipocytes by Targeting MAP3K1 and Activating PI3K-Akt Pathway

Meat quality in goats is partly determined by the intramuscular fat (IMF) content, which is associated with the proliferation and differentiation of intramuscular preadipocytes. Emerging studies have suggested that miRNA plays a crucial role in adipocyte proliferation and differentiation. In our recent study, we observed the expression variations in miR-196a in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Jianzhou goats at different ages. However, the specific function and underlying mechanism of miR-196a in IMF deposition are still unclear. This study demonstrated that miR-196a significantly enhanced adipogenesis and apoptosis and reduced the proliferation of preadipocytes. Subsequently, RNA-seq was employed to determine genes regulated by miR-196a, and 677 differentially expressed genes were detected after miR-196a overexpression. The PI3K-Akt pathway was identified as activated in miR-196a regulating intramuscular adipogenesis via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis and further verified via Western blot and rescue assays. Lastly, using RT-qPCR, Western blot, dual-luciferase, and rescue assays, we found that miR-196a promoted adipogenesis and suppressed the proliferation of intramuscular preadipocytes by the downregulation of <i>MAP3K1</i>. In summary, these results suggest that miR-196a regulates IMF deposition by targeting <i>MAP3K1</i> and activating the PI3K-Akt pathway and provide a theoretical foundation for improving goat meat quality through molecular breeding.