Small RNA sequencing Analysis of muscle and adipose in Chinese swamp buffalo

Background: Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is an important index for beef quality. However, the genetics of IMF deposition is complex and still largely unclear, especially in buffalo. To identify miRNAs with potential regulatory role in lipid accumulated in muscle, we performed small RNA sequencing and identified miRNAs expressed in the longissimus dorsi muscle and back fat of Chinese buffalo, which provided vital information for further identification of miRNAs with potential regulatory role in the lipid accumulated in muscle. Results: Six small RNA libraries were constructed. A total of 66,128,645 and 70,974,347 raw reads were obtained from muscle and adipose groups, respectively. After filtering the adaptor and low quality reads, 60,765,257 and 67,327,095 clean reads were retained. In total, 721 miRNAs were identified. Overall design: Three muscle samples and three adipose samples from Chinese swamp buffalo were collected from Benniu abattoir, a local slaughterhouse of Xinayang, P.R. China.