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Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Signatures of Fat Deposition Following Orchiectomy in Yak
by
, , ,
Lin Xiong
1,2,3, 
Jie Pei
1,2,3,
Qianyun Ge
1,2,3,
Zhiqiang Ding
1,2,3,
Yandong Kang
1,2,3,
Chao Chen
1,2,3,
Ruichao Wei
1,2,3 and
Xian Guo
1,2,3,* 1
Animal Science Department, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China
2
Key Laboratory of Yak Breeding in Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730050, China
3
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding on Tibetan Plateau, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou 730050, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2026, 16(12), 1825; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16121825 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 27 April 2026
/
Revised: 9 June 2026
/
Accepted: 9 June 2026
/
Published: 12 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Animal Genetics and Genomics)
Simple Summary
Castration, known to influence fat deposition and meat quality, is the common practice in cattle husbandry, and the effect of castration on male yak fat deposition was explored in this study. The finding showed castrated yaks had thicker subcutaneous fat and higher levels of beneficial fatty acids, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids. Further, the key genes that controlled the fat amount and the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in yaks were identified, and several crucial biological pathways linked to the effect of castration on yak fat deposition were screened out. These findings can help farmers raise yaks more effectively, improve meat quality for consumers, and support healthier breeding practices. Ultimately, both yak farming and the people who rely on yak products will benefit from this research.
Abstract
Fat deposition plays an important role in yak metabolism, reproduction, and meat quality, and male yaks are often castrated to facilitate management and improve production performance. The effect of castration on the characteristics of fat deposition in male yaks and the molecular mechanisms of action was explored in this study. The subcutaneous fat thickness in castrated and common male yaks was measured, further the content of fatty acids in yak subcutaneous fat was detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS); the transcriptome, metabolome in the yak subcutaneous fat were detected using mRNA-Sequencing, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), respectively; the integrative analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), different metabolites (DMs), fatty acids and fat thickness were carried out. The results showed that castration can strengthen the ability of fat deposition and improve the content of fatty acids, especially PUFAs, in male yaks, and both transcriptome and metabolome were significantly different between castrated male yaks and common male yaks. The effect of castration on the male yak fat deposition was closely related to the PPAR signaling pathway, citrate cycle, and insulin resistance. Data suggests that FASN, ACACA, AGPAT2, ACLY, ACSL5, SCD, GSK3B, and SLC2A4 may be the crucial control genes for the fat amount in yaks, and that FADS2, LPL, and ACSL4 may be the crucial control genes for the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) content in yak adipose tissue. Further functional studies will be conducted to determine the specific role of each gene in regulating fat deposition and fatty acid composition in yaks.
Keywords:
yak; castration; gene regulation; fat deposition; fatty acid; multi-omics
