Transcriptome analyses reveal genes and pathways associated with fatty acid composition traits in pigs

Fatty acid composition is associated with meat quality in pigs as well as with obesity- and diabetes-related traits in humans. Liver and muscle are important tissues for fatty acid metabolism. In this study, we evaluated correlations between liver and muscle transcriptomes and fatty acid composition traits in muscle and abdominal fat tissues in 335 F2 pigs from a White Duroc × Erhualian F2 pig resource population. Transcripts significantly correlated with fatty acid composition traits were enriched for genes involved in the categories of triglyceride catabolic process, mitochondrial function, hematological and immune system, and disease such as Type II diabetes. Gene co-expression network analysis further identified liver network modules relevant to fatty acid unsaturation index that were enriched in platelet activation and the type I interferon signaling pathway and highlighted the connections between variations in fatty acid composition and genes involved in hematological and immune s...

脂肪酸组成与猪的肉品质密切相关，同时也与人类肥胖及糖尿病相关性状存在关联。肝脏与肌肉是脂肪酸代谢的关键组织。本研究以335头来自大白杜洛克（White Duroc）×二花脸（Erhualian）的F2代资源群体猪只为研究对象，分析了肝脏、肌肉转录组（transcriptome）与肌肉、腹部脂肪组织的脂肪酸组成性状之间的相关性。与脂肪酸组成性状显著相关的转录本所富集的基因，主要参与甘油三酯分解代谢过程、线粒体功能、血液与免疫系统，以及II型糖尿病等疾病相关通路。基因共表达网络分析进一步鉴定出与脂肪酸不饱和度指数相关的肝脏基因共表达模块，这些模块富集于血小板活化及I型干扰素信号通路，同时揭示了脂肪酸组成变异与血液及免疫系统相关基因之间的关联...