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Molecular Breeding for Important Economic Traits in Livestock

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 1362

Editors

College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
Interests: cattle; adipose development; lipid metabolism; gene expression; gene function; gene regulation; genomic selection; bioinformatics analysis
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Guest Editor
Research Associate State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Interests: adipogenesis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The improvement of economically important traits through molecular breeding is a cornerstone of modern livestock research. Traits such as growth rate, feed efficiency, reproductive performance, disease resistance, and fat deposition (including adipogenesis) are critical for ensuring sustainable production, profitability, and food security in the livestock industry. Advances in molecular biology, genomics, and biotechnology have made it increasingly possible to dissect the genetic and regulatory mechanisms underlying these complex traits. 

This Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research focused on the molecular basis and genetic improvement of key economic traits in livestock. We invite original research articles, reviews, and short communications that explore molecular breeding strategies, genomic selection, transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling, functional gene studies, and the use of non-coding RNAs and other regulatory elements. Studies employing integrative multi-omics approaches or focusing on trait-specific pathways in different livestock species are especially welcome. 

By bringing together diverse contributions, this Special Issue seeks to advance our understanding of molecular breeding tools and their application in improving livestock productivity, resilience, and overall genetic merit. We welcome submissions from the fields of genetics, molecular biology, animal science, and bioinformatics to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in livestock breeding research.

Dr. Dawei Wei
Dr. Syed Haidar Abbas Raza
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • molecular breeding
  • livestock genetics
  • economic traits
  • genomic selection
  • adipogenesis
  • feed efficiency
  • disease resistance
  • non-coding RNAs
  • multi-omics
  • genetic improvement

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 3857 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Association and Meta-Analysis Identify Candidate Genes for Sperm Freezability in Duroc and Yorkshire Boars
by Siwen Wu, Jian He, Qianxi Liang, Xuehua Li, Zhuoda Lu, Zhili Li, Hui Ji, Yao Feng, Zhanwei Zhuang and Yunxiang Zhao
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(14), 6506; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27146506 - 22 Jul 2026
Abstract
Boar sperm freezability (SF) is an economically important trait that influences reproductive efficiency and genetic improvement in pigs. However, its genetic basis remains poorly understood. In this study, semen samples from 382 Duroc and 151 Yorkshire boars were evaluated for sperm motility and [...] Read more.
Boar sperm freezability (SF) is an economically important trait that influences reproductive efficiency and genetic improvement in pigs. However, its genetic basis remains poorly understood. In this study, semen samples from 382 Duroc and 151 Yorkshire boars were evaluated for sperm motility and recovery rate, and all individuals were genotyped using an 80K SNP array. Within-breed GWAS were first conducted, followed by a meta-analysis integrating the GWAS results from both boars. Individuals were classified into GSF and PSF groups based on sperm recovery rate for subsequent selection signature analysis. The results showed that Duroc boars exhibited significantly higher SF than Yorkshire boars. Heritability estimates for SF were moderate, with values of 0.35 in Duroc and 0.30 in Yorkshire. GWAS identified 10 significant SNPs in Duroc and 33 in Yorkshire associated with SF. Meta-analysis further detected 12 significant SNPs, annotated to candidate genes such as CCDC181, PARN, SOX9, and NCKAP5L. Association analysis identified ten representative variants significantly correlated with sperm recovery rate, with variants in PARN and MAP2K6 showing strong additive effects. Selection signature analysis revealed multiple genomic regions under differential selection between GSF and PSF groups, identifying several candidate genes associated with SF. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that these genes are mainly involved in spermatogenesis, flagellar motility, cellular stress response, and cold adaptation pathways. Overall, this study provides novel insights into the genetic architecture of boar SF and identifies potential molecular markers for genetic improvement and functional genomic studies in pigs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Breeding for Important Economic Traits in Livestock)
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