驴肉是典型的高蛋白、低脂肪、低胆固醇食品，其脂类多为不饱和脂肪酸。和田青驴和新疆驴是新疆特有的地方品种驴，都适应南疆干旱、粗放地饲养条件，但它们的肌内脂肪（IMF）含量高、肉质鲜嫩，且IMF因品种、驴龄不同而各异。 H-FABP、PPARγ、LPL、FASN、HSL、PLIN1基因都是调控脂肪沉积的关键基因；本项目将采集不同年龄段的和田青驴和新疆驴的背最长肌、股二头肌，检测IMF的含量，为生产中选择最佳肉质的屠宰驴龄提供依据。同时，采用RT-PCR、Western blot技术，分别研究以上基因mRNA及其蛋白的相对表达量，并分析其表达量与品种、年龄、IMF含量之间的变化规律，筛选出两品种驴某个年龄段内、以及同一品种不同年龄段间IMF不同时的表达差异基因。最后，对差异基因启动子区进行甲基化检测分析，进而从表观修饰角度解释甲基化差异对驴肉IMF沉积的影响，为将来提高驴肉品质提供理论依据。

The donkey meat is a healthy food contained high protein, low cholesterol and low fat which mostly consist of unsaturated fatty acid. Hetian donkey and Xinjiang donkey are both local donkeys species in Xinjiang. They are habituated to the drought and extensive raising condition of South Xinjiang, but their intramascular fat (IMF) content is high and meat is delicious. Moreover, the IMF is different due to various age and species. The H-FABP, PPARγ, LPL, FASN, HSL, PLIN1 genes are key regulators for fat deposition. This project intent to collect the 1ongissimus dorsi and femoral biceps muscle of different age donkeys in Hetian donkey and Xinjiang donkey and test their IMF content in order to provide evidence to select optimal slaughtering donkey's age in production. Meanwhile, we will test relative expression of above genes mRNA and protein, and analysis the relation between relative expression and the species, the age and IMF using RT-PCR and Western blot.Then,the differential expression genes（DGE）will be found by comparing two species in the same age, or different ages in the same species. Finally,the methylations status of DGE promoter region will be detected. Our study aims to explain the effect of epigenetic modification on IMF deposition of donkeys meat in order to provide theoretical evidence which would improve the quality of meat donkey in future.