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DNA binding proteins

Insights into Transcription Factors and Fatty Acid Composition in Pigs

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research conducted by a team of scientists at Purdue University has shed light on the role of transcription factors and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in determining fatty acid composition in pigs. The study, published in Animal Genetics, aimed to identify candidate functional SNPs and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) associated with fatty acid composition variation and transcription factors related to lipid metabolism.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study identified 105,378 unique SNPs, including 74,955 originating from RNA-Seq data and 30,423 SNPs from the Porcine 50K SNP chip, which were tested for association with skeletal muscle gene expression data.
  • Genome-wide association studies were conducted to test the association of these SNPs with fatty acid trait variation, resulting in 74,254 eQTL, including 15,558 cis- and 58,696 trans-eQTL.
  • The analysis identified two SNPs significantly associated with oleic and linolenic acids in the skeletal muscle of pigs.
  • Candidate genes previously reported to influence meat quality in pigs and human health were identified, including PITX3, NT5C2, FTL, GLIS1, API5, and HILPDA.
  • The study highlighted the importance of transcription factors, including EGR1, SP1, CREB3, and INSM, in lipid metabolism and identified 23 eQTL hotspots.
  • The research concluded that further validations using larger datasets are recommended due to the limited sample size.

Statistics:

  • 105,378 unique SNPs were identified in the study, including 74,955 originating from RNA-Seq data and 30,423 SNPs from the Porcine 50K SNP chip.
  • 74,254 eQTL were identified, including 15,558 cis- and 58,696 trans-eQTL.
  • 23 eQTL hotspots were identified, along with four TFs related to lipid metabolism: EGR1, SP1, CREB3, and INSM.
  • Two SNPs were significantly associated with oleic and linolenic acids in the skeletal muscle of pigs.

Sources:

  • Transcription factors and candidate functional SNPs associated with variation in fatty acid composition from skeletal muscle of pigs. Animal Genetics, 2025;56(5). Animal Genetics can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA. (Wiley-Blackwell - www.wiley.com/; Animal Genetics - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2052)
  • NewsRx. Recent Findings from Purdue University Provide New Insights into Transcription Factors (Transcription factors and candidate functional SNPs associated with variation in fatty acid composition from skeletal muscle of pigs). Life Science Weekly. October 21, 2025; p 3907.

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