Background: Studies of molecular mechanism of lipid metabolism of broiler liver tissue during embryonic period are important for broiler production and breeding.The results of the studies both on mammals and on the chicken showed that the lipid metabolism activities of the liver tissue are complex, and Liver plays vital roles on lipid metabolism.Methods: In the current study, Fluorscence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) method combined with matrixassisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS) were performed to analyses protein expression profiles of liver tissue of the chicken cmbryos including 7-old-day、 12-old-day、 14-old-day、 17-oldday and 1-old-day after hatching of fourteenth generation of Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content (NEAUHLF).Results: A total of 22 differentially expressed protein spots were found in liver adipose tissue between fat and lean broilers.Among them, 14 protein spots were downregulated and 8 protein spots were upregulated in fat birds compared with those in lean birds.These 22 protein spots were then identified by MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS and matched to 17 proteins by searching against the NCBInr and UniProt databases, including apolipoprotein A-I (APO A-I), intestine fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP), lysyl-tRNA synthetase, Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, cytoplasmic and Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK), Alpha-fetoprotein(AFP), Succinate dehydrogenase ubiquinone] flavoprotein subunit, mitochondrial(SDHA), Ovalbumin, sulfotransferase, heat shock proteinβ1 (HSPβ1), thioredoxin domain-containing protein 5 and 3 hypothetical proteins.These proteins are mainly related to lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, chaperone, transport.KEGG pathway analyses revealed that these 17 differentially expressed proteins were involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle pathway and oxidative phosphorylation pathway.Conclusions: The current study found vital proteins involved in lipid metabolism of liver tissue, and the results establish the groundwork for further studies of the basic genetic control of growth and development of broiler liver tissue .