Identifying Pleiotropic Genes for Backfat Thickness and Semen Traits in Pigs Using GWAS Summary Data

Clicks: 7
ID: 313884
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #200 of 239 articles by views in italian journal of animal science

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 239 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Backfat thickness is a key carcass trait reflecting fat deposition in pigs, while semen quality represents a critical measure of boar reproductive performance in artificial insemination systems. Despite their economic importance, the genetic relationship between these traits remains largely unexplored. In this study, we applied the PLACO method under the composite null hypothesis to identify genes affecting adjusted backfat thickness at 100 kg (BFT_100), semen volume (SEMVOL), and sperm motility (SPMOT). The consistency and heterogeneity of pleiotropic gene effects were evaluated using Pearson correlation and Cochran's Q test, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed based on the STRING database. Generalized Summary-data-based Mendelian Randomization (GSMR) was employed to investigate potential genetic associations between BFT_100 and semen traits. We identified 99 significant pleiotropic genes (FDR < 0.05), including seven genes (PACSIN1, TTC26, PSMD13, PKHD1, VARS2, MDFI, MRPS10) associated with all three traits. Approximately 57.5% of genes exhibited positive correlations between traits, while 42.5% showed negative correlations. PPI analysis revealed that these genes formed interconnected networks enriched in energy metabolism and immune-related pathways. GSMR indicated a significant positive genetic effect of BFT_100 on SEMVOL (β = 19.09, P = 1.545 × 10-7) but a negative effect on SPMOT (β = -0.0051, P = 0.0138). These results reveal the complex genetic links between fat deposition and semen traits, highlight key pleiotropic genes, and suggest mechanisms by which adiposity may influence reproductive performance, providing valuable insights for molecular breeding and genetic improvement in pigs.
Reference Key
openalex_W7161008611 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Y Yang, Xiaodian Cai, Wenzhe Ning, Jiajian Chen, H Zhang, Wei Zhang, Jinyan Teng, Yahui Gao
Journal italian journal of animal science
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/jas/skag150
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag150
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.