Genetic Basis of Pig Breeding and Regulation of Meat Production Efficiency and Quality Control

Dear Colleagues,

Meat production traits (growth rate, feed efficiency, carcass yield) and meat quality traits (intramuscular fat content, tenderness, water-holding capacity) represent the most economically critical characteristics in modern pig breeding. Despite advancements in porcine genomics starting in the early 20th century, the translation of genetic discoveries into practical breeding tools remains limited, with only a handful of major genes effectively utilized. This Special Issue seeks to bridge this gap by elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits and developing next-generation breeding technologies.

This Special Issue focuses on the following content:

Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms

(1) The identification of novel candidate genes regulating myogenesis, adipogenesis, and muscle fiber composition through GWAS and QTL mapping.

(2) Non-coding RNAs and epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation, histone acetylation) in meat quality regulation.

Advanced Breeding Technologies

(1) Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) Optimization: High-density SNP panels targeting causal mutations for meat traits.

The integration of pleiotropic markers for multi-trait selection.

(2) Genomic Selection (GS) Algorithms: Machine learning-enhanced genomic prediction. Single-step genomic evaluation (ssGBLUP) for commercial herds.

(3) Gene Editing Applications: CRISPR-Cas9, epigenetic editing.

Multi-Omics Integration

Transcriptome–proteome–metabolome networks in muscle development.

Single cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptome sequencing of pig tissues to reveal specific physiological regulatory pathways.

Dr. Mailin Gan
Dr. Liyuan Shen
Guest Editors

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