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The Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Intramuscular Fat Deposition in Livestock: Current Research Cover

The Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Intramuscular Fat Deposition in Livestock: Current Research

Open Access
|Apr 2026

Figures & Tables

Figure 1.

LncSERPINE1AS2 enhanced the proliferation of intramuscular preadipocytes, and inhibited the expression of PAI1 protein by complementary base pairing with a sequence in the PAI1 gene, thereby promoting adipogenesis. PAI1 – plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; Arrows – stimulation; T-shaped lines – inhibition (modified from Zhang et al., 2024 a)

Figure 2.

LncADNCR regulates adipogenesis by acting as a ceRNA for miR-204, thus increasing the expression of the miR-204 target gene SIRT1, which inhibits adipocyte differentiation and adipogenic gene expression by docking with co-repressor proteins (NCoR and SMART) to inhibit PPARγ activity. SIRT1 – sirtuin 1; PPARγ – peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma; NCoR – nuclear receptor corepressor; SMART – silencing mediator for retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptors; Arrows – stimulation; T-shaped lines – inhibition (modified from Li et al., 2016)

Figure 3.

LncAD regulates intramuscular adipocytes differentiation by cis-acting regulation of TXNRD1, which stimulates target genes such as PPARγ. TXNRD1 – thioredoxin reductase 1; PPARγ – peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma; Red arrow – upregulated expression (modified from Zhang et al., 2020 a)

Examples of lncRNAs involved in the regulation of IMF deposition in livestock

SpeciesLncRNAFunctionsReferences
1234
PigTCONS_00163943, TCONS_00180222, TCONS_00124156, TCONS_00109510Involved in the MAPK signaling pathway related to fat deposition and lipid metabolismMiao et al., 2018
17 lncRNAsAffect adipocyte differentiation by regulating eight genes associated with the PPAR signaling pathwayHu et al., 2022
TCONS_00006525, TCONS_00046551, TCONS_00000528Inhibit adipogenesis by controlling genes related to the Wnt pathwayFeng et al., 2023
XLOC_025238, XLOC_027632, XLOC_062192Regulate SCD gene expression, which plays a key role in intramuscular fat depositionHuang et al., 2018
lncIMF4Affects lipid synthesis in intramuscular adipocytesSun et al., 2020
MSTRG.426159, MSTRG.604206Correlated with fat metabolismLiu et al., 2019
MSTRG.2479.1Affects the deposition of IMF by regulating VLDLR gene expressionXing et al. 2019
LTCONS_00073280,Associated with IMF content by affecting the TAGLN geneYang et al., 2021
LTCONS_00101781, LTCONS_00037879, LTCONS_00088260, LTCONS-00128343Involved in backfat thickness and IMF accumulationYang et al., 2021
TCON_00165259, TCON_00138738Involved in IMF deposition-related processesLi et al., 2022
lnc_000368Stimulates the differentiation of adipocytes; reduces the expression of genes related to adipogenesisYue et al., 2023
lnc_000414Negatively regulates intramuscular adipocyte proliferationSun et al., 2018
XLOC_046142, XLOC_064871, XLOC_004398, XLOC_011001, XLOC_025238Target mRNA involved in PPAR and MAPK signal pathways and play a key regulatory role in fat accumulation and differentiationHuang et al., 2018
MSTRG.4269.1, MSTRG.7983.2Act as ceRNAs, regulate the expression of lipid metabolism-related target genes (PLCB1, BAD, GADD45G)Jin et al., 2024
ADNCRInhibits adipocyte differentiation, by acting as ceRNAs for miR-204Ding et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2019
PLAAT3-ASIncreases PLAAT3 gene expression by absorbing miR-503-5p to promote the differentiation of primary preadipocytesWang et al., 2023
Lnc_4789Overexpression lnc4789 attenuated the effect of miR-381-3p on FABP3 gene by sponging miR-381-3pJiang et al., 2022
IMFlnc1Increases the level of CAV-1 gene by interaction with miR-199a-5p, promotes adipogenesis in intramuscular adipocytesWang et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2020 a; Ding et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2022; Liu et al., 2023
lncIMF2Acts on miR-217 and regulates miR-217 target gene expression, promotes the differentiation of precursor intramuscular adipocytesYi et al., 2023
PU.1 SAPromotes adipogenesis by forming a sense-antisense RNA duplex with PU.1 mRNAHu et al., 2022
XLOC_064871, XLOC_004398, XLOC_011001, XLOC_015408Play a role in adipocyte differentiation and fatty acid metabolism by trans-regulating TRIB3, NR1D2, BRCA1 and AKR1C4 genesHuang et al., 2018; Tan et al., 2022
MSTRG.13115.1, MSTRG.13120.1, MSTRG.20210.1, MSTRG.10885.1 MSTRG.19948.1Affect intramuscular fat accumulation by cis- and trans-regulation of the LPIN1 geneZhao et al., 2023
Cattle18 lncRNAsRegulate fat metabolism via various related pathwaysShi et al., 2024
lnc_595.1Related to PCK1 gene, which plays an important role in the deposition of IMFMuniz et al., 2022
FAM200BInhibits preadipocyte proliferationZhang et al., 2021
LOC100847835Regulates C/EBPß gene, which is an important transcription factor in adipose tissue developmentZhang et al., 2022 c
PSXV-9Inhibits adipogenesis by interacting with C/EBPαLi et al., 2018
BIANCRKnockdown of BIANCR inhibits adipogenesis by regulating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway, promoting apoptosis of intramuscular preadipocytesMa et al., 2023
BADLNCR1Inhibits adipocyte differentiation by inhibiting the expression of the GLRX5 geneCai et al., 2020
MIR221HGAffects adipocyte differentiation by regulating the expression of adipogenesis markers genes (PPARγ, C/EBPα, and FABP4)Li et al., 2019 a
LNCBNIP3Inhibits preadipocyte proliferation by regulating the cell cycle, and CDC6 gene expression Regulates preadipocyte differentiation by mediating the PI3K/Akt and PPAR signaling pathwaysZhang et al., 2023 Zhang et al., 2024 b
SERPINE1AS2Regulates adipogenesis by inhibiting PAI1 protein expression, and by engaging in the MAPK, Wnt, and mTOR signaling pathwaysZhang et al., 2024 a
ADNCRInhibits adipocyte differentiation by affecting miR-204 and regulating SIRT1Li et al., 2016
TCONS_00119451, TCONS_00119463Linked to eleven quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with fat deposition traits; role in IMF deposition by regulating feed efficiency and energy metabolismHu et al., 2022
SheepMSTRG.4051.3, MSTRG.16157.3, MSTRG.21053.3, MSTRG.19941.2, MSTRG.12864.1, MSTRG.2469.2, MSTRG.21381.1Regulate target genes (FZD4, ULK1, PAQR3, TPI1, FHL1, EXOC6 and NCOA1) involved in lipid depositionHan et al., 2021
MSTRG.13347.2, MSTRG.16157.3, MSTRG.11343.1, MSTRG.11343.4, MSTRG.10678.1Inhibit lipid deposition in younger sheep and promote lipid deposition in older sheepHan et al., 2021
MSTRG.3004.3, MSTRG.21053.3, MSTRG.14887.1, MSTRG.790.1, MSTRG.10518.3
TCONS_00372767, TCONS_00171926, TCONS_00054953, TCONS_00373007Regulate target genes (ATP6, ATP8, COXIII, COXl, COX2, FHL1, SLC24A2, ALDOA, ND1) related to fat metabolism and accumulationMa et al., 2018
MSTRG.65945.1Involved in preadipocyte differentiation by trans-regulating FASN, PLIN2, KLF4 genesHao et al., 2024
PoultryXR_003077610.1Located near the FGF1 gene, whose expression is positively correlated with IMF content in males, and negatively in femalesJing et al., 2022
lnc46546Promotes IMF deposition by increasing the expression of AGPAT2 geneChen et al., 2023
lncPRDM16Inhibits adipocyte proliferationChen et al., 2022
7 lncRNAsInvolved in the differentiation process of intramuscular preadipocytesHu et al., 2022
NONGGAT009025.2, NONG-GAT000272.2Upregulated during adipogenic differentiationZhang et al., 2020 a
XLOC_054724, XLOC_054725Regulate differentiation of preadipocytes by affecting the expression of IGFBP2 target geneZhang et al., 2017
ALDBGALG599Regulates lipid metabolism by affecting LPIN1 geneLi et al., 2019 b
lnc6302Promotes adipocytes differentiation by regulating the expression of SLC22A16 geneMa et al., 2024
TCONS_00057272, TCONS_00057242, TCONS_00026544, TCONS_00055280Inhibit preadipocyte differentiation by acting as ceRNAs for gga-miR-146a-3p and gga-miR-6615-3p and stimulate adipogenic differentiation of preadipocytes by inhibiting the expression of gga-miR-128-1-5p and gga-miR-135a-5pChen et al., 2019
ADNCRRegulates adipogenesis by acting as a ceRNA for miR-204 and increasing SIRT1 gene expressionLi et al., 2016
IMFNCRPromotes intramuscular adipocyte differentiation by binding miR-128-3p and miR-27b-3p and increasing PPARG protein expressionZhang et al., 2019 a Wang et al., 2021
MSTRG.25116.1Regulates preadipocyte adipogenic differentiation by acting as a transcriptional trans-regulator of FAAH gene expression and/or a ceRNA that post-transcriptionally mediates FAAH gene expression by sponging gga-miR-1635Tian et al., 2022
lncADPromotes the differentiation and inhibits the proliferation of intramuscular adipocytes by affecting the expression of TXNRD gene in a cis-regulatory mannerZhang et al., 2020 a
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2025-0070 | Journal eISSN: 2300-8733 | Journal ISSN: 1642-3402
Language: English
Page range: 425 - 437
Submitted on: Oct 15, 2024
Accepted on: Jun 5, 2025
Published on: Apr 15, 2026
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: Volume open

© 2026 Dorota Maj, Wiktoria Gonkiewicz, published by National Research Institute of Animal Production
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.