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Fatty acid composition is an important aspect of meat quality in ruminants. Improving the beneficial fatty acid level in cashmere goat meat is important to its economic value. To investigate microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs that regulate or coregulate polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthesis and metabolism in the Inner Mongolia cashmere goat, we used longissimus dorsi muscle (WLM) and biceps femoris muscle (WBM) for transcript-level sequencing. RT-qPCR was used to evaluate the expression of mRNAs and miRNAs associated with PUFA synthesis and metabolism. The total PUFA content in the WBM was significantly higher than that in the WLM (P < 0.05). Our study is the first to systematically report miRNAs in cashmere goat meat. At the mRNA level, 20,375 genes were identified. ACSL1 , CD36 and TECRL were at the center of a gene regulatory network and contributed significantly to the accumulation and metabolic regulation of fatty acids. At the miRNA level, 426 known miRNAs and 30 novel miRNAs were identified. KEGG analysis revealed that the miRNA target genes were involved mainly in the PPAR signaling pathway. The mRNA-miRNA coregulation analysis showed that ACSL1 was negatively targeted by nine miRNAs: chi-miR-10a-5p, chi-miR-10b-5p, chi-miR-130b-5p, chi-miR-15a-5p_R-1, chi-miR-15b-5p, chi-miR-16a-5p, chi-miR-16b-5p, chi-miR-181c-5p_R+1, and chi-miR-26b-5p. Finally, we speculated that the simultaneous silencing of ACSL1 by one or more of these nine miRNAs through PPAR signaling led to low ACSL1 expression in the WLM and, ultimately to high PUFA content in the WBM. Our study helps elucidate the metabolic regulation of fatty acids in Inner Mongolia cashmere goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentration of Li, associated with coal, has been found in the Guanbanwusu coal Mine, Inner Mongolia, China. Earlier studies suggested that the lithium came from the Yinshan Paleoland during the peat-forming stage. The results of Li isotope determinations and calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) indicated that the lithium in the peat was released into the pore water and adsorbed by kaolinite edge surfaces (octahedral layers and/or tetrahedral layers) in the subsequent diagenesis and coalification. Alternatively, the Li of the partings, the floor, and the roof of the No. 6 coal seam also likely originated from the underlying bauxite of the Benxi Formation. Specifically, we determined the Li isotopic fractionations produced in chelation by small carboxylate (Δ7/6Li organolithium-aq = −0.35‰), in adsorption onto kaolinite edge surfaces (Δ7/6Li octahedral layer-aq = 4.36‰, Δ7/6Li tetrahedral layer-aq = −4.53‰), and during incorporation into the lattices (Δ7/6Li Al2-aq = −8.2‰ and Δ7/6Li Al1-aq = −11.9‰). Combining these results with the δ7Li of 3.37 ± 0.13‰ for the moyite of the Yinshan Paleoland, we deduced a theoretical δ7Li range for the No. 6 coal seam and the partings, 2.85–7.38‰, exactly covering the determined δ7Li values of the coal and the partings. However, only the partings plotted in the theoretical δ7Li range of 1.13–5.66‰ assuming the bauxites (with δ7Li 1.30 ± 0.03‰) as the lithium source. During weathering and deposition, conversion of structurally incorporated Li within the grain boundaries of polycrystalline minerals of the bauxites to adsorbed Li was inferred to explain the Li isotope excursion in the latter case. • To discuss the Li enrichment in coals by DFT calculations and MC-ICP-MS analyses • The coals and the partings of the No. 6 coal seam may have different Li sources. • Occurrence modes of light element Li in the coals and the partings are inferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]