Whole transcriptome sequencing of Duroc pigs

In this study, we collected tissues of the longissimus dorsi muscle of purebred Duroc pigs. All pigs were chosen on the basis of the same breed, sex, and weight but with divergent intramuscular fat. Whole-transcriptome sequencing of this tissue was performed to explore the gene profiles and identify candidate IncRNAs, circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs associated with IMF deposition by evaluating differences in expression and identifying the pathways in which the differentially expressed genes are involved. Furthermore, potential IncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA co-regulatory networks were constructed to elucidate the complex genetic architecture related to swine IMF.