A Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Biological Pathways and Candidate Genes for Feed Efficiency in DLY Pigs

Genes

Rongrong Ding¹  Jie Yang¹  Xingwang Wang¹  Jie Wu¹  Jianping Quan¹  Enqin Zheng¹  Shaoyun Li¹  Zhenfang Wu¹ 

[1] College of Animal Science and National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China;

关键词: DLY pig;    feed efficiency;    small intestines;    SLC2A2;   

DOI  :  10.3390/genes10090725

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Feed cost accounts for approximately 65−75% of overall commercial pork production costs. Therefore, improving the feed efficiency of pig production is important. In this study, 12 individuals with either extremely high (HE) or low (LE) feed efficiency were selected from 225 Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) (DLY) pigs. After the pigs were slaughtered, we collected small intestine mucosal tissue. Next, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was used to reveal the presence and quantity of genes expressed between these extremely HE- and LE-groups. We found 433 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the HE- and LE-groups. Of these, 389 and 44 DEGs were upregulated and downregulated in the HE-group, respectively. An enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in functions related to apical plasma membrane composition, transporter activity, transport process and hormone regulation of digestion and absorption. Protein network interaction and gene function analyses revealed that SLC2A2 was an important candidate gene for FE in pigs, which may give us a deeper understanding of the mechanism of feed efficiency. Furthermore, some significant DEGs identified in the current study could be incorporated into artificial selection programs for increased feeding efficiency in pigs.

【 授权许可】

Unknown