Transcriptomic data of the large Diqing Tibetan pig in muscle growth

Pig growth involves multiple genes and coordinated regulatory mechanisms. The large Diqing Tibetan pigs (TPs) is a unique plateau pig breed in China. Data on the mechanisms of muscle growth and development in TPs are limited, and its transcriptional regulation mechanism remains unclear. This study identifies important genes involved in muscle growth in TPs. We obtained transcriptomic data from the longissimus dorsi muscle (LD) tissues of large Diqing Tibetan and Duroc pigs (TPs and DP) via RNA-seq. Comparative analyses of TP and DP yielded 557 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional annotation of these DEGs was enriched in metabolic processes, metabolic pathways, cytoskeletal protein binding, AMPK signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, and other related pathways. Ten genes were identified as key candidate regulators (FASN, PPARG, PCK1, ACTA2, TXN, SNU13, APOA1, ATP8, ALDH2, and IGFN1) that may play important roles in the muscle growth traits of TP. This study provides a reference for analyzing the genetic regulation mechanism underlying muscle growth in pigs and improving the meat yield of TP via molecular marker-assisted selection.