Anas platyrhynchos isolate:PD, CD | breed:Pekin duck | cultivar:Native and Cherry Valley Pekin duck Genome sequencing and assembly

Muscle growth and lipid deposition are co-ordinately regulated processes. Cherry Valley Pekin duck is a lean-type duck strain with high growth rate, whereas native Pekin duck of China has high lipid deposition. Phenotypic analysis demonstrated that native Pekin ducks had smaller fibre diameter and larger density in breasts muscle at 3-weeks of age, and higher content of intramuscular fat at 6-weeks of age compared to the values in Cherry Valley Pekin ducks. Whole genome sequencing would help to detect potiential candidate genes for differences in muscle growth and lipid deposition. Identification of these candidate genes for growth and quality traits of duck muscle should be useful for elucidating the mechanisms of muscle growth and lipid deposition and would help in improved breeding of ducks.