microRNA temporal-specific expression profiles reveals longissimus dorsi muscle development in Tianzhu white yak

As a class of regulatory factors, miRNAs play an important role in regulating normal muscle development and fat deposition. Muscle and adipose, as major components of the animal organism are also economically important traits in livestock production. However, the effect of miRNA expression profiles on the development of muscle and adipose tissue in yak is currently unknown. In the present study, we compared the dynamic expression profiles of miRNAs in the longest dorsal muscle of Tianzhu white yaks at three stages, 6-month-old (M6, n=6), 30-month-old (M30, n=6) and 54-month-old (M54, n=6) by using RNA-Seq techniques, and established a regulatory network of miRNAs associated with the development of muscle and adipose.