Effect of miR-10a on the proliferation and differentiation of yak adipocyte precursors

The fat content of yak meat is significantly correlated with the meat quality, and an appropriate fat content helps to improve the texture of the meat. The involvement of miR-10a in regulating the differentiation and proliferation of various cell types has been reported. Therefore, in this study, the effects of miR-10a on lipid droplet accumulation were investigated by transfection of yak adipocyte precursors with an miR-10a inhibitor, followed by Oil Red O, BODIPY, EdU staining, and cell cycle analysis of the transfected and control cells. The relative expression of lipogenic marker genes was determined by RT-qPCR to clarify the effect of miR-10a on the differentiation and proliferation of yak adipocyte precursors. Mature adipocytes were collected for transcriptome analysis to identify differentially expressed target genes and the association of these genes with adipogenic pathways was investigated by GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. In addition, the phylogeny and expression profiles of miR-10a were analyzed in various yak tissues. The results showed that miR-10a could inhibit the differentiation and promote the proliferation of yak adipocyte precursors. Analysis of the RNA-Seq results showed that miR-10a inhibitor and inhibitor NC had six differentially expressed genes: FABP4, AKR1B7, IGF2, ROCK1, IFNB1, and PLA2G3. These genes were found to be involved in the regulation of adipogenesis, with IGF2 and IFNB1 being upregulated in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, which is activated upon stimulation by IGF2 and IFNB1 and inhibits the differentiation and promotes the proliferation of yak adipocytes precursor, which in turn affected adipogenesis. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis indicated that miR-10a evolved relatively recently in yak and sheep, while tissue expression profiles showed that miR-10a was highly expressed in yak lung tissues.