Adipogenesis involves complex interactions between transcription and metabolic signalling. Exploration of the developmental characteristics of intramuscular adipocyte will provide targets for enhancing beef cattle marbling without increasing obesity. Few reports have compared bovine perirenal and intramuscular adipocyte transcriptomes using the combined analysis of transcriptomes and lipid metabolism to explore differences in adipogenic characteristics. We identified perirenal preadipocytes (PRA) and intramuscular preadipocytes (IMA) in Qinchuan cattle. We found that IMA were highly prolific in the early...