Transcriptomic Analysis of the Effect of the Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Protein Kinase B Signaling Pathway on Metabolic Homeostasis in Tan Sheep Muscle during Chilled Storage

In order to uncover the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway in metabolic regulation in Tan sheep meat during chilled storage, the transcriptome changes of lamb meat injected with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 after 0, 4 and 8 days of chilled storage were studied by high-throughput sequencing. Altogether, 474, 96, and 13 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the control and LY294002 treatment groups were identified on days 0, 4, and 8, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly related to metabolic homeostasis, such as amino acid biosynthesis, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and glyceride metabolism. In addition, tissue section analysis showed that the gap between muscle fibers in the LY294002 group increased and the diameter of muscle fibers decreased significantly relative to the control group, indicating muscle atrophy. These results indicated that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway played a crucial role in maintaining metabolic balance during the storage of Tan mutton, which in turn ensured the normal growth of muscle. This study provides a new direction for further elucidating the molecular mechanism by which the PI3K/AKT signaling regulates metabolic homeostasis in Tan mutton during chilled storage.