The genetic basis of lipid metabolism in the poultry liver, the main site of fat synthesis, is poorly understood. We combined a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (meta-GWAS) of 1,636 broilers with deep lipidomic profiling of 320 livers, identifying 18 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for abdominal fat percentage (AFP) and thousands of metabolite-associated loci. Mendelian randomization prioritized causal lipids, with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), phosphatidylserine (PS), and triglycerides showing the strongest effects. Fine-mapping and functional validation identified non-synonymous variations in FAM161A , CD38 , and MRPL44 as key regulators of DHA, PS, and glyceride levels, respectively. This multi-omics map provides novel molecular targets for breeding programs to reduce abdominal fat while enhancing valuable fatty acids like DHA, thereby improving the nutritional quality of chicken meat. • A high-resolution hepatic lipid atlas was established by the large-scale mGWAS in chicken. • Novel genes ( FAM161A , CD38 , MRPL44 ) regulating lipid metabolism were identified and validated, especially a key genetic variant in FAM161A was found to control the level of DHA (omega-3 fatty acid). • Provides molecular targets to improve meat quality at the primary site of lipid synthesis.
An et al. (Thu,) studied this question.