Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41923184›Full record

ArticleJournal of animal science and biotechnology2026

Mendelian randomization and colocalization reveal potential causal effects of average daily gain on carcass composition and reproductive traits in pigs.

Wondossen Ayalew, Guangzhen Li, Yuqiang Liu, Jinyan Teng, Xiaodian Cai, Qing Lin, Yahui Gao, Jiaqi Li, Zhe Zhang

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of animal science and biotechnology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Wondossen AyalewState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Guangzhen LiState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Yuqiang LiuState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Jinyan TengState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Xiaodian CaiState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Qing LinState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Yahui GaoState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Jiaqi LiState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Zhe ZhangState Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. zhezhang@scau.edu.cn.

Funding

Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou 2024B03J1305the Young Scientists Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China 32402714
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSelective breeding has substantially improved productive and reproductive traits in pigs. Yet, these traits are biologically interconnected, and selection for one often affects others in unintended ways. While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have uncovered many loci linked to these traits, they provide limited insight into causal mechanisms. Mendelian randomization (MR) provides a robust framework for inferring causality and identifying shared genetic determinants. Here, we integrated MR, colocalization, and functional genomics to investigate the biological links between growth, carcass composition, and reproduction in pigs.

resultsUsing average daily gain (ADG) as the exposure, MR revealed potentially significant causal effects (P < 0.05) of ADG on carcass composition traits, including backfat thickness (BFT:

conclusionsOur findings suggest a shared genetic architecture and provide potential evidence of a causal influence of ADG on carcass composition and reproductive traits in pigs. This integrative framework supports the development of multi-trait breeding strategies that enhance productivity while managing inherent trade-offs in regulating complex traits.

Indexed as

Causal inferenceFunctional genomicsMeta-GWASPleiotropySwine

Identifiers

PMID41923184
PMCPMC13045043

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.