Abstract
Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) in beef play a vital role in promoting human health. Long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthase 1 (ACSL1) is a crucial gene for UFA synthesis in bovine adipocytes. To investigate the protein expression profile during UFA synthesis, we performed a proteomic analysis of bovine adipocytes by RNA interference and non-interference with ACSL1 using label-free techniques. A total of 3558 proteins were identified in both the NC and si-treated groups, of which 1428 were differentially expressed proteins (DEPs; fold change ≥ 1.2 or ≤ 0.83 and p-value < 0.05). The enrichment analysis of the DEPs revealed signaling pathways related to UFA synthesis or metabolism, including cAMP, oxytocin, fatty acid degradation, glycerol metabolism, insulin, and the regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes (p-value < 0.05). Furthermore, based on the enrichment analysis of the DEPs, we screened 50 DEPs that potentially influence the synthesis of UFAs and constructed an interaction network. Moreover, by integrating our previously published transcriptome data, this study established a regulatory network involving differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DELs), highlighting 21 DEPs and 13 DELs as key genes involved in UFA synthesis. These findings present potential candidate genes for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying UFA synthesis in bovines, thereby offering insights to enhance the quality of beef and contribute to consumer health in future studies.