Transcriptomic Study on Variations in Tenderness of Tibetan Lamb Meat

Background: Tibetan sheep meat plays a pivotal role in the husbandry sector of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Methods: We adopted a detailed sequencing and analysis strategy to verify the molecular mechanism of tenderness variation in different Tibetan sheep meat. Result: Transcriptomic analysis revealed 824 differentially expressed genes in Tibetan sheep muscle tissues of varying tenderness, encompassing 241 upregulated and 583 downregulated genes. Genes including MyoD, PAK6, PDGFRA, Myf5, IGF, GH, FGF and GDF8 were implicated, involving critical processes such as muscle development, growth and metabolism. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses unveiled significant enrichment phenomena pertaining to biological processes, cellular components and molecular functions. Validation via qRT-PCR confirmed the differential expression of eight candidate genes. These findings offer theoretical and practical insights for enhancing Tibetan sheep meat quality through genetic regulation.