Blood transcriptomic data in pigs to improve the understanding of heat stress adaptation mechanisms.

This study aims to use omics data to understand the genetic pathways involved in heat stress adaptation. Heat stress is one of the main limiting performance factors in the pig industry, and its importance is expected to grow with the consequences of warming climate. Different solutions to temper the influence of heat stress on the performance and well-being of pigs have been studied, and the genetic selection appear as a potential solution. Genetic mechanisms behind heat tolerance are still not well understood, but some differences between breeds have been shown, as well as an interaction between genetic and environment. To achieve this, transcriptomic data from blood were obtained in an experiment involving 36 pigs from 3 breeds slaughtered before (n=18) or after a 5-d exposure to 32°C (n=18).