Multi-omics analysis reveals the molecular mechanism of meat quality regulation in high-altitude Awang sheep

Mutton meets the requirements of a healthy low-fat diet owing to its high nutritional and low-fat characteristics. Mutton quality varies greatly owing to the living environment, and there is currently insufficient understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating the meat quality of high-altitude Tibetan and Hu sheep. In this study, we compared and analyzed volatile flavor compounds in the longissimus dorsi muscle of one-year-old Awang sheep (AW group) and Hu sheep (HS group) and conducted a combined transcriptome, metabolome, and lipidomic analysis of the longissimus dorsi muscle to explore the effects of altitude on the quality and flavor compounds of mutton.