Comparative analysis of muscle profiles in silky fowl and white Leghorn Chicken: Insights from multi-omics and experimental approaches

Silky fowl is a highly valued breed of chicken with both culinary and medicinal significance. We conducted a comprehensive and integrated proteomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analysis to compare silky fowl meat (SFM) with Leghorn chicken meat (LCM). In SFM, 262 differentially expressed proteins (48 up-regulated, 214 down-regulated), 2577 differentially expressed genes (949 up-regulated, 1628 down-regulated), and 198 differentially abundant metabolites (52 up-regulated, 146 down-regulated) were identified. Our studies under-score the notable involvement of SFM in essential amino acid biosynthesis, accompanied by the up-regulation of genes associated with melanogenesis. Several genes exhibited consistent expression patterns with the results derived from real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). SFM contained higher levels of flavor-enhancing factors (glutathione, glycine, and serine) relative to LCM. Moreover, it harbored the presence of pharmacologically significant metabolites alongside up-regulated genes related to vitamin E metabolism. These multi-omics differences provide a comprehensive framework that lays the groundwork for future investigations into the biological, nutritional, and pharmacological applications of silky fowl.

Automated summary

This study examined the differences between silky fowl meat (SFM) and Leghorn chicken meat (LCM) using a comprehensive analysis of proteomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. Several proteins, genes, and metabolites were found to be differentially expressed or abundant between SFM and LCM, suggesting the involvement of SFM in amino acid biosynthesis and melanogenesis. SFM also contained higher levels of flavor-enhancing factors and pharmacologically significant metabolites.