Integrated multi-omics profiling of wooden breast reveals energy metabolism dysfunction and RHOA/ROCK pathway activation.

Abstract

Wooden breast (WB) is a prevalent meat quality defect in broilers, characterized by muscle hardness, and reduced functionality. To investigate its molecular basis, we applied an integrated multi-omics strategy combining untargeted metabolomics, proteomics, and phosphoproteomics. By integrating these datasets, our study offers more comprehensive understanding of the protein and signaling landscape in WB compared to previous approaches. Metabolomic showed an energy crisis marked by ATP depletion. Proteomic revealed downregulation of glycolytic, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation, indicating metabolic dysfunction. Machine learning identified five candidate biomarkers (GOLGA2, AHCYL2, L1CAM, PTRH2, GOLPH3). Phosphoproteomic analysis detected 4348 sites and highlighted RHOA/ROCK signaling pathway activation, suggesting roles in cytoskeletal remodeling and fibrosis. Integrated analyses revealed that WB is associated with impaired energy metabolism, calcium dysregulation, ER stress, and fibrotic progression. These findings provide mechanistic insights and identify potential molecular targets to improve meat quality and reduce economic losses.