# Integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome reveals the molecular interactions and regulation of muscle flavor precursors in Tengchong Snow chickens and AA broilers

## TL;DR

This study compares flavor precursor molecules and their related genes in two chicken breeds to understand meat flavor differences and improve breeding.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the identification of key genes and metabolites linked to flavor formation in chicken muscle using integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis.

## Key findings

- 42 significantly different metabolites were found, including important flavor precursors like (5-L-Glutamyl)-L-glutamate and gamma-Glutamylalanine.
- Key genes correlated with flavor metabolites include NME2, AMPD1, GADL1, ASNS, CARNS1, and CTH.
- A gene-metabolite interaction network was constructed to explain flavor formation in chicken breast muscle.

## Abstract

The flavor of chicken meat is formed by a series of complex chemical reactions, and the flavor precursors are affected by regulatory genes. In order to study the differences of muscle flavor precursors between Tengchong Snow chickens and AA broilers, integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses were used to investigate muscle metabolite profiles and the key genes involved in the metabolism of muscle flavor compounds. The results showed that 42 significantly differentially metabolites were detected, and (5-L-Glutamyl)-L-glutamate, gamma-Glutamylalanine, S-Adenosylhomocysteine, Homo-L-arginine and GMP were important flavor metabolites. The key candidate genes with high correlation with flavor precursor metabolites were identified through correlation analysis as NME2, AMPD1, GADL1, ASNS, CARNS1, and CTH. In addition, the gene-metabolite interaction network for flavor formation in chicken breast muscle was constructed. This study could provide some basic data for the formation mechanism of local chicken excellent meat quality, and provide reference for the development and utilization of local chicken breeds and the selection and breeding of high-quality broilers.