2. Academic Validation
  3. Mechanism of Myh3 gene regulation of intramuscular fat content in Beijing black pigs via the MAPK signaling pathway

Mechanism of Myh3 gene regulation of intramuscular fat content in Beijing black pigs via the MAPK signaling pathway

  • BMC Genomics. 2025 Jul 7;26(1):642. doi: 10.1186/s12864-025-11528-7.
Yunyan Luo # 1,  Gaoxiao Xu # 2,  Chunguang Zhang # 1,  Zuochen Wen 1,  Han Chu 1,  Yuxing Dai 1,  Liang Hong 1,  Jianbin Zhang 1,  Akpaca Samson Vignon 1,  Chao Sun 3,  Longchao Zhang 4,  Lei Pu 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Tianjin Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Breeding and Healthy Husbandry, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China.
  • 2 Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Embryo Development and Reproductive Regulation, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Hormone and Reproduction, School of Biological and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, China.
  • 3 Tianjin Key Laboratory of Green Ecological Feed, Tianjin modern Tianjiao Agricultural Technology Co, LTD, Tianjin, China.
  • 4 Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China. zhanglongchao@caas.cn.
  • 5 Tianjin Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Breeding and Healthy Husbandry, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China. puleiwork@tjau.edu.cn.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 40624626 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-025-11528-7
Abstract

Background: Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is closely linked to meat tenderness and flavor. The Beijing Black pig, a renowned breed in China, serves as a valuable model for studying IMF traits, with implications for producing high-grade pork.

Results: This study identified six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Myosin heavy chain 3 gene (Myh3) that were significantly associated with IMF traits in Beijing Black pigs. To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which Myh3 affects porcine IMF development, cellular-level studies were conducted. Myh3 interference inhibited the proliferation and differentiation of porcine intramuscular preadipocytes while promoting p38 protein phosphorylation, whereas Myh3 overexpression had the opposite effects. Further investigation using p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway inhibitors and activators revealed that inhibiting the pathway alleviated the suppressive effects of Myh3 interference on differentiation, while activating the pathway reduced the promotive effects of Myh3 overexpression.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that Myh3 promotes intramuscular preadipocyte development by inhibiting the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, providing novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms of IMF development.

Keywords

Myh3; Beijing black pig; Intramuscular fat; MAPK signaling pathway.

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