Investigation of Myofiber Composition Changes and Molecular Mechanisms in Rabbit Meat Quality Development During Growth

Investigation of Myofiber Composition Changes and Molecular Mechanisms in Rabbit Meat Quality Development During Growth | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Investigation of Myofiber Composition Changes and Molecular Mechanisms in Rabbit Meat Quality Development During Growth Guohua Song, Tongyan Zhu, zhen Li, Liye Chang, AhambaIfeanyi Solomon, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7758283/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 31 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in BMC Genomics → Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Rabbit meat is a high-protein, low-fat food with recognized nutritional benefits, often labeled as “healthy meat” and “nootropic meat.” However, its low-fat content leads to relatively poor flavor. Myofibers are the main components of rabbit meat, and their type composition determines the overall metabolic characteristics of the meat, which ultimately affects fresh meat quality. During the growth of rabbits, muscle fibers transform into one another. Nevertheless, the changes in the relative composition of myofiber types as domestic rabbits grow, and the molecular mechanisms behind myofiber transformation, remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze the changes in the relative composition of myofiber types in rabbits of different ages and explore the roles of various potential molecules in rabbit myofiber transformation at the transcriptional level using whole transcriptome technology. Results Significant differences were observed in the relative composition of gluteus (GLU) and gastrocnemius (GAS) muscle fiber types, which impacted rabbit meat color and taste. During growth, the relative composition of GLU muscle fiber types differed significantly between 1-day-old and 14-day-old rabbits. Transcriptome analysis of GLU muscle from these two age groups revealed extensive molecular changes during myofiber transformation, including 3,194 differentially expressed mRNAs, 366 circRNAs, 1,394 lncRNAs, 343 miRNAs, 180 differentially expressed transcription factors, and 2,717 genes with significant alternative splicing. These differentially expressed molecules were associated with multiple signaling pathways involved in myofiber transformation, such as the AMPK, calcium, PI3K-Akt, MAPK, Hippo, and mTOR pathways. Comprehensive co-expression and protein-protein interaction analyses identified an active interconnected module containing 38 co-expressed proteins related to myofiber transformation. Based on the ceRNA theory and these 38 key molecules, a lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed, involving 9 mRNAs, 10 circRNAs, 18 lncRNAs, and 14 miRNAs. Conclusions This study investigated how the relative composition and content of myofiber types change during different growth stages of rabbits, and revealed the complex dynamic biological mechanisms underlying myofiber transformation in rabbits through whole transcriptomics. The results of this study can help identify appropriate targets for regulating myofiber transformation, thereby facilitating the development of high-quality rabbit meat. Rabbit meat Myofiber transformation Whole transcriptome analysis ceRNA network Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files TableS1.docx TableS2ReadsQC.xlsx TableS3mappedstat.xlsx TableS4RG14VSRG1.TFgenesannotation.xlsx TableS5AllExpressedmiRNA.xlsx TableS6tophatfusionmappedstat.xlsx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 31 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in BMC Genomics → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 24 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 09 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 07 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 06 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 04 Nov, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 03 Nov, 2025 Editor invited by journal 06 Oct, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 03 Oct, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 03 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 01 Oct, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7758283","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":542136421,"identity":"412e3af9-cf63-4186-99c9-219f03ff267b","order_by":0,"name":"Guohua Song","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Northwest A\u0026F University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Guohua","middleName":"","lastName":"Song","suffix":""},{"id":542136422,"identity":"1ef80f25-3246-4de6-90d9-63336f0c0359","order_by":1,"name":"Tongyan Zhu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Northwest A\u0026F 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Growth","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-genomics","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"gics","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Genomics](http://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/gics","title":"BMC Genomics","twitterHandle":"#BMCGenomics","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Rabbit meat, Myofiber transformation, Whole transcriptome analysis, ceRNA network","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7758283/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7758283/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eRabbit meat is a high-protein, low-fat food with recognized nutritional benefits, often labeled as \u0026ldquo;healthy meat\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;nootropic meat.\u0026rdquo; However, its low-fat content leads to relatively poor flavor. Myofibers are the main components of rabbit meat, and their type composition determines the overall metabolic characteristics of the meat, which ultimately affects fresh meat quality. During the growth of rabbits, muscle fibers transform into one another. Nevertheless, the changes in the relative composition of myofiber types as domestic rabbits grow, and the molecular mechanisms behind myofiber transformation, remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze the changes in the relative composition of myofiber types in rabbits of different ages and explore the roles of various potential molecules in rabbit myofiber transformation at the transcriptional level using whole transcriptome technology.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSignificant differences were observed in the relative composition of gluteus (GLU) and gastrocnemius (GAS) muscle fiber types, which impacted rabbit meat color and taste. During growth, the relative composition of GLU muscle fiber types differed significantly between 1-day-old and 14-day-old rabbits. Transcriptome analysis of GLU muscle from these two age groups revealed extensive molecular changes during myofiber transformation, including 3,194 differentially expressed mRNAs, 366 circRNAs, 1,394 lncRNAs, 343 miRNAs, 180 differentially expressed transcription factors, and 2,717 genes with significant alternative splicing. These differentially expressed molecules were associated with multiple signaling pathways involved in myofiber transformation, such as the AMPK, calcium, PI3K-Akt, MAPK, Hippo, and mTOR pathways. Comprehensive co-expression and protein-protein interaction analyses identified an active interconnected module containing 38 co-expressed proteins related to myofiber transformation. Based on the ceRNA theory and these 38 key molecules, a lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed, involving 9 mRNAs, 10 circRNAs, 18 lncRNAs, and 14 miRNAs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study investigated how the relative composition and content of myofiber types change during different growth stages of rabbits, and revealed the complex dynamic biological mechanisms underlying myofiber transformation in rabbits through whole transcriptomics. The results of this study can help identify appropriate targets for regulating myofiber transformation, thereby facilitating the development of high-quality rabbit meat.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Investigation of Myofiber Composition Changes and Molecular Mechanisms in Rabbit Meat Quality Development During Growth","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-13 14:33:13","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7758283/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-11-24T14:03:28+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-09T09:32:22+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-08T00:46:29+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"222884118958239934991552146357513607898","date":"2025-11-08T00:40:52+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-07T00:57:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"266618755659369343942084176602812636129","date":"2025-11-04T13:31:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"333970130695734613511642670707352870932","date":"2025-11-04T05:25:49+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-11-04T04:50:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-06T16:35:10+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-10-03T06:51:25+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-10-03T06:50:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Genomics","date":"2025-10-01T09:44:12+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-genomics","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"gics","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Genomics](http://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/gics","title":"BMC Genomics","twitterHandle":"#BMCGenomics","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"926a5d11-a256-4f27-bcfc-e963ff71abc6","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 13th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-02T16:00:26+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7758283","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-026-12587-0","journal":{"identity":"bmc-genomics","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Genomics"},"publishedOn":"2026-01-31 15:57:58","publishedOnDateReadable":"January 31st, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-13 14:33:13","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s12864-026-12587-0","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-026-12587-0","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7758283","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7758283","identity":"rs-7758283","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}