The effect of rume fluid transplantation on sheep muscle growth performance: a comprehensive evaluation of histology, transcriptomics and metabolomics

This study aims to explore the effect of Rumen Microbiota Transplantation (RMT) on the growth and development of the longest muscle of the back of mother Tibetan sheep. Histological analysis found that the transplant group (LDT) showed significant weight gain and better muscle fibre structure (significant increase in length, width and density) compared with the control group (LDC). Transcriptomics analysis identified 515 differentially expressed genes, of which 419 were down-regulated, and KEGG pathways related to muscle development, such as cell adhesion and PI3K-Akt signalling pathways, were down-regulated; metabolomics further revealed that lipid metabolites MG(0:0/19:0/0:0) and EFN A5, COL11A1 and SKAP1 form a synergistic regulatory network, which together play a pivotal role in muscle growth, structural integrity and immune regulation. This study provides a new perspective for revealing the molecular mechanism of rumen fluid transplantation affecting muscle growth and development, but the technology is effective in improving muscle growth and meat quality. There is uncertainty, and it still needs to be studied in depth in the future.

本研究旨在探究瘤胃微生物移植（Rumen Microbiota Transplantation, RMT）对藏羊母羊背部最长肌生长发育的影响。组织学分析结果显示，相较于对照组（LDC），移植组（LDT）的增重效果更为显著，肌纤维结构更优良——肌纤维长度、宽度及密度均显著提升。转录组分析共鉴定出515个差异表达基因，其中419个为下调基因；与肌肉发育相关的KEGG通路（如细胞黏附通路、PI3K-Akt信号通路）均呈下调趋势。代谢组学进一步揭示，脂质代谢物MG(0:0/19:0/0:0)与EFN A5、COL11A1、SKAP1共同构成协同调控网络，在肌肉生长、结构完整性维持及免疫调控中发挥关键作用。本研究为揭示瘤胃微生物移植调控肌肉生长发育的分子机制提供了全新视角，但该技术在改善肌肉生长与肉品质方面仍存在不确定性，未来仍需开展深入研究。