Growth and carcass traits are key economic traits in beef cattle production, and identifying their associated genetic markers is crucial for improving breeding efficiency. Charolais cattle, as a superior beef breed, exhibit excellent performance in growth rate and meat production. The aim of this study was to utilize the preferred high-coverage whole-genome resequencing (hcWGS) as a replacement for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips to identify significant SNPs and candidate genes associated with growth (body weight, body height, cross height, body length, and chest measurement across different growth stages) and carcass traits (live backfat thickness and eye muscle area at 18 months) in 240 Charolais cattle, thereby providing guidance for beef cattle breeding. Through hcWGS (approximately 13× coverage) and quality control, 4,088,633 SNPs were identified and subsequently used for genetic analyses. Through FarmCPU-based genome-wide association studies, 196 potentially significant SNPs associated with growth traits and 29 SNPs with carcass traits were identified. Annotation analyses revealed 353 candidate genes (such as RBM33, KCTD17, PTHLH, RAC2, CHD6, TRDN, WBP1L, TLL2, CH25H, and ST13) linked to growth traits and 26 candidate genes linked to carcass traits (such as CHST11, LRRK2, RIOK2, and INTS10). Additionally, three SNPs (g.8674692C>G, g.54418624G>T, and g.71085551G>A) were validated via polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), enabling efficient marker-assisted selection. Furthermore, eight SNPs in the Acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1) gene were found to be associated with growth and backfat thickness traits. These findings provide valuable preliminary insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying growth and carcass traits in Charolais cattle, facilitating genome-assisted breeding.

Background: The study of early mammalian embryonic development is the basis for the cultivation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), assisted reproductive technology (ART), and understanding and preventing early embryonic developmental defects. Metabolism is the most fundamental physiological activity of embryonic development. Studies have shown that specific metabolic pathways and metabolites play key roles in embryonic development. These roles involve the regulation of signal transduction in addition to the provision of energy to the organism. Aim of Review: This review examines the factors affecting the critical moments of embryonic development, such as oocyte maturation, zygotic gene activation, cell compaction, and two genealogical differentiations. It also presents the characteristics of embryonic metabolism at this time. This review aims to provide new insights and approaches for improving early mammalian embryonic development by clarifying the relationship between embryonic metabolism and its developmental processes. Furthermore, the review emphasizes embryonic metabolism as a potential indicator for assessing the level of embryonic development in vitro, providing a new basis for assessment in assisted reproductive technologies. Key Scientific Concepts of Review: This review is focused on three main key concepts. First, we demonstrate known regulatory mechanisms of embryonic development to enhance the potential of early embryonic development. Second, we elucidate the potential role of metabolic processes and their products in early embryonic development. Third, we provide new foundations and perspectives for the study of the early embryo from the perspective of cellular metabolism.