Integrative metabolomic-genomic analyses uncover key regulators of metabolism in growing Duroc male pigs

Pig breeding plans are increasingly looking for novel phenotypes that go beyond traditional production traits to enhance selection strategies. In this context, phenomics approaches have emerged to allow for large-scale phenotypic characterization through digital technologies (e.g., sensors and video/imaging systems) as well as high-throughput molecular profiling (Koltes et al., 2019). Among these, molecular phenotyping is particularly valuable because it not only provides new informative traits but also helps in understanding the biological mechanisms behind complex traits. Metabolomics is a key molecular approach as it enables the comprehensive profiling of small molecules that define metabolic pathways and allows for the definition of metabotypes (Fontanesi, 2016). Furthermore, metabolomic traits are generally more closely related to the genomic space than complex phenotypes, and exhibit moderate to high heritability (Bovo et al., 2025a). While metabolite genome-wide association studies (mGWAS) have been widely used in human populations, their application in livestock is still limited. In pigs, only a few studies have explored the genetic architecture of the metabolome, focusing on different breeds or physiological conditions (e.g. Ponsuksili et al., 2025; Bovo et al., 2025a). In this study, we combined high-throughput plasma metabolomic profiles and genotyping data from growing Duroc male pigs using an mGWAS approach to identify genetic regulators of pig metabolism.