Metabolomic data on socio-genetic effects of residual feed intake in pigs

Residual feed intake is an important indicator of feed efficiency and is influenced by social interactions. However, the molecular mechanisms influencing residual feed intake-social genetic effects (RFI-SGE) are poorly understood. Therefore, this study employed an integrated multi-omics approach to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying RFI-SGE in pigs. Transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses were performed on liver, ileum, and cecum tissues from pigs with high and low RFI-SGE. Differentially expressed genes in the liver were enriched in oxidative phosphorylation and ATP synthesis pathways, while those in the ileum were involved in amino acid metabolism, vitamin binding, and lipid localization. Proteomic profiling revealed consistent patterns, with proteins related to cholesterol metabolism, insulin signaling, and peroxisomal activity upregulated in the liver and those involved in lipoprotein remodeling and cholesterol binding more abundant in the ileum of high RFI-SGE pigs. Metabolomic analysis identified gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as the only metabolite consistently upregulated across all tissues in high RFI-SGE pigs. Integration of multi-omics data revealed the central role of GABA biosynthesis in mediating the phenotypic differences between RFI-SGE groups.