Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Sep 21;25(18):10132.
doi: 10.3390/ijms251810132.

Involvement of the AMPK Pathways in Muscle Development Disparities across Genders in Muscovy Ducks

Wanxin Zhao  1 , Yulin He  1 , Ziyuan Du  1 , Xuanci Yu  1 , Juan Chen  1 , Ang Li  1 , Caiyun Huang  1
Affiliations

Involvement of the AMPK Pathways in Muscle Development Disparities across Genders in Muscovy Ducks

Wanxin Zhao et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

The differences in muscle development potential between male and female ducks lead to variations in body weight, significantly affecting the growth of the Muscovy duck meat industry. The aim of this study is to explore the regulatory mechanisms for the muscle development differences between genders. Muscovy ducks of both sexes were selected for measurements of body weight, growth traits, hormone levels, and muscle gene expression. The results show that male ducks compared to females had greater weight and growth traits (p < 0.05). Compared to male ducks, the level of serum testosterone in female ducks was decreased, and the estradiol levels were increased (p < 0.05). The RNA-seq analysis identified 102 upregulated and 49 downregulated differentially expressed genes. KEGG analysis revealed that among the top 10 differentially enriched pathways, the AMPK signaling pathway is closely related to muscle growth and development. Additionally, the mRNA and protein levels of CD36, CPT1A, LPL, and SREBP1 were increased and the P-AMPK protein level decreased in the female ducks compared to the male ducks (p < 0.05). In conclusion, muscle development potential difference between male and female ducks is regulated by sex hormones. This process is likely mediated through the activation of the AMPK pathway.

Keywords: AMPK; growth traits; hormone; muscle.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Weight changes in male and female Muscovy ducks at different ages. (A): Growth curves. (B): Weekly weight gain curve. Female: the female Muscoy duck group. Male: the male Muscoy duck group. “**” indicates p < 0.01; “***” indicates p < 0.001; “ns” indicates p > 0.05.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of growth traits between male and female Muscovy ducks. Male represents male Muscovy ducks. Female represents female Muscovy ducks; “**” represents p < 0.01; “ns” represents p > 0.05.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Estimation of serum estrogen and testosterone levels. (A): The level of testosterone. (B): The level of estrogen. Male: male Muscovy duck group. Female: female Muscovy duck group. “**” represents p < 0.01.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Genetic variation prediction and expression analysis. (A): A volcano plot of gene differential expression. (B): Cluster analysis of differential genes. (C): qRT-PCR verification of differentially expressed genes. RNA-seq: gene expression trends of RNA-seq. qPCR: qPCR gene expression trends. Male: male Muscovy duck group. Female: female Muscovy duck group.
Figure 5
Figure 5
GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of differential genes. (A): GO enrichment entries of male and female group. (B): KEGG enrichment entries of male and female group.
Figure 6
Figure 6
The mRNA expression levels of AMPK signaling pathway. Male: male Muscovy duck group. Female: female Muscovy duck group. “** “represents p < 0.01; “ns “represents p > 0.05.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The protein expression levels of AMPK signaling pathway. Male: male Muscovy duck group. Female: female Muscovy duck group. “*” represents p < 0.05, “**” represents p < 0.01, and “ns” represents p > 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Shuisheng H., Lingzhi L. The Current Status, Future Trends, and Suggestions for the Waterfowl Industry in 2022. Chin. J. Anim. Sci. 2023;59:274–280. doi: 10.19556/j.0258-7033.20230214-07. - DOI
    1. Saez G., Davail S., Gentès G., Hocquette J.F., Jourdan T., Degrace P., Baéza E. Gene expression and protein content in relation to intramuscular fat content in Muscovy and Pekin ducks. Poult. Sci. 2009;88:2382–2391. doi: 10.3382/ps.2009-00208. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ang L., Hong W., Xia Z.M., Kun W.S., Kang W.C., Ying W.G. The Change Regularity of the Concentrations of Reproductive Hormone during the Broody Period in Muscovy Ducks. Acta Vet. Zootech. Sin. 2004;5:522–525.
    1. Bin J.H., Jun T.Y. Muscovy duck and its breeding management. Shui QIin Shi Jie. 2012;2:26–27.
    1. Deries M., Thorsteinsdóttir S. Axial and limb muscle development: Dialogue with the neighbourhood. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 2016;73:4415–4431. doi: 10.1007/s00018-016-2298-7. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources