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Integrated multi-omics profiling identifies genetic loci of African swine fever resistance in pigs

delete2026-05-30
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OA
AI
X
Xiaowei Ye
Q
Qinqin Xie
C
Caiyun Cao
S
Shuang Liu
W
Wenbo Sun
Z
Zhe Zhang
Q
Qishan Wang
潘玉春 cover
潘玉春 (Yuchun Pan) *
Z
Zhen Wang *
DOI:10.1093/gigascience/giag066delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
African swine fever (ASF) remains a persistent threat to global pig production, with no licensed vaccines or effective treatments available. Observations of surviving individuals within low-virulence infected herds suggest that host genetic resistance plays a crucial role. Here, we present a multi-dimensional integrative analysis to uncover host genomic variants associated with ASF resistance. Combining genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genetic differentiation, and functional genomic approaches, including TWAS, SMR, colocalization, and Bayesian network GWAS, we prioritized 135 high-priority candidate resistance genes from an initial gene set of 1,102 candidates. These prioritized genes are enriched in immune-related pathways, such as chemokine signaling and IL-15-mediated activation. Heritability enrichment and transcriptomic analyses further revealed tissue- and cell-type-specific expression patterns, particularly in peripheral immune organs and pulmonary alveolar macrophages. Dynamic infection-responsive genes, including CXCL10, CXCL11 and IL15, exhibited robust antiviral signatures, which highlighted Mac_CD163 as key cellular mediators in the immune response to ASF. Moreover, multiple genes (such as SOS1, FCGR2B, FCGR3) converged on the PI3K-AKT and Fcγ receptor signaling axes pathways, underscoring their functional importance. Finally, we developed a polygenic resistance score using 40 prioritized independent SNPs, which effectively discriminates phenotypic outcomes and showed a positive correlation with health traits such as platelet distribution width. These findings provided a genomic foundation for the precision breeding of ASF-resistant pigs and inform host-targeted disease control strategies.
Keywords:
African swine fever
host genetic resistance
genome-wide association studies
immune-related pathways
polygenic resistance score

Journal

GigaScience cover
GigaScience
IF:
3.9
Papers:
1.6K
Citations:
1.2W

Organization

S
Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Scholars:
4.3K
Papers: 2.4K
Citations: 5
Z
zhejiang university
Scholars:
17.1W
Papers: 11.9W
Citations: 152