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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #421867
Research Project: Assessment of Quality Attributes of Poultry Products, Grain, Seed, Nuts, and Feed

Location: Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit

Title: Transcriptomic analysis of the breast muscle at different ages during the grower phase in broilers

Author
item HAN, GI PPEUM - University Of Georgia
item LEE, JIHWAN - University Of Georgia
item GOO, DOYUN - University Of Georgia
item CHOI, JANGHAN - Orise Fellow
item Kong, Byungwhi
item Bowker, Brian
item KIM, WOO KYUN - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/9/2025
Publication Date: 10/13/2025
Citation: Han, G., Lee, J., Goo, D., Choi, J., Kong, B.C., Bowker, B.C., Kim, W. 2025. Transcriptomic analysis of the breast muscle at different ages during the grower phase in broilers. Poultry Science. 104:(12). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105968.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.105968

Interpretive Summary: The US stands as the leading global producer of broiler (meat type) chickens, with notably higher consumption of chicken meat than pork or beef. Selective breeding programs have successfully resulted in accelerated growth rates and improved body composition, particularly affecting breast muscle development. The present study aims to compare global gene expressions in the breast muscle of commercial broiler chickens at different ages in the grower phase. Results of this study will provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying growth phase, which would be useful for enhancing breast muscle development for further broiler breeding programs.

Technical Abstract: Rapidly growing broilers experience significant increases in body weight and undergo metabolic changes at an accelerated rate over a very short period. As broiler chickens grow, the yield and quality of breast meat become significant concerns because breast meat is the most preferred portion worldwide. Although broilers are raised over a short period, feeding phases are adjusted to their metabolic and nutritional requirements, with the grower phase specifically designed to maximize lean mass. To understand the differences in gene expression of breast muscle across different ages during the grower phase in the broiler chickens, we compared the transcriptomic profiles of breast muscle at 20-d-old (D20) and 28-d-old (D28) of age broiler chickens using RNA-seq. We identified a total of 1,536 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), of which 990 genes were up-regulated and 546 genes were down-regulated in the D28 group compared with D20 group. According to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, the up-regulated DEGs indicated that MAPK signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway, Insulin signaling pathway, and Regulation of actin cytoskeleton, whereas Ribosome and Cell cycle pathways were enriched in the down-regulated DEGs. Gene set enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed that the breast muscle of D20 group showed metabolic pathways focusing on muscle proliferation and differentiation. In contrast, the breast muscle of D28 group was primarily focused on metabolic pathways related to muscle fiber maintenance and functional enhancement. These findings may serve as a basis for further research into metabolic differences in breast muscle during the grower phase of broiler chickens and could be valuable for improving genetic breeding strategies in the future.