Genome-wide association studies for fatty acid metabolic traits in five divergent pig populations

Fatty acid composition profiles are important indicators of meat quality and tasting flavor. Metabolic indices of fatty acids are more authentic to reflect meat nutrition and public acceptance. To investigate the genetic mechanism of fatty acid metabolic indices in pork, we conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 33 fatty acid metabolic traits in five pig populations. We identified a total of 865 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), corresponding to 11 genome-wide significant loci on nine chromosomes and 12 suggestive loci on nine chromosomes. Our findings not only confirmed seven previously reported QTL with stronger association strength, but also revealed four novel population-specific loci, showing that investigations on intermediate phenotypes like the metabolic traits of fatty acids can increase the statistical power of GWAS for end-point phenotypes. We proposed a list of candidate genes at the identified loci, including three novel genes (FADS2, SREBF1 and PLA2G7). Further, we constructed the functional networks involving these candidate genes and deduced the potential fatty acid metabolic pathway. These findings advance our understanding of the genetic basis of fatty acid composition in pigs. The results from European hybrid commercial pigs can be immediately transited into breeding practice for beneficial fatty acid composition.