MicroRNA profiling associated with muscle growth in modern broilers compared to an unselected chicken breed

We recently performed global gene expression in the breast muscles of modern broiler and foundation line chickens. In this study, we have peformed miRNA expression analyses in the same tissues to identify muscle specific miRNAs that could be regulatory factors for muscle growth and feed efficiency in chickens. Breast muscle samples were collected from six birds each from pedigree male broiler and Barred Plymouth Rock chickens. Small RNA was purified and small RNA sequencing was done using illumina 1*50 bp single end read method.