Strong Signals of Selection for Body Size in Swine

Pigs have undergone intense selective pressure throughout their domestication history, and their size is a desirable trait for humans. The objective of this research was to detect the strong selective signals for swine body size using the genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach for ten different pig breeds based on the values of breed genetic differentiation (Fst). Three strong signatures are associated with the size of the pig, with LAGA0046501 at 12.84 Mb on SSC8, ALGA0046498 at 12.51 Mb on SSC8 and a ∼600 kb interval from 82.10 to 82.70 Mb on SSC4. LCORL, NCAPG, IMPAD1, PLAG1 have been characterized as plausible candidate genes for body size in swine based on their genomic position and biological function. Our findings provide deeper insights into the genetic architecture of body size in pigs.