Better Fattening Performance, Better Pig Meat Quality

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Pigs".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 743

Special Issue Editor


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College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
Interests: livestock; probiotics; pathogens
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pork is one of the most consumed meats around the world. Moreover, improved meat quality has gradually become an important objective of the consumers, and it has an essential economic value for the pork industry. Pork quality is influenced by multiple interacting factors along the production chain, including the genotype, feeding and housing conditions, peri-slaughter handling and slaughter conditions. A thorough understanding of the precise biological and molecular mechanisms of meat quality will provide potential approaches to improving pork quality and meeting the industry’s demand.

Thus, we are pleased to invite authors to contribute to the new Special Issue of Animals, entitled “Better Fattening Performance, Better Pig Meat Quality”. This Special Issue aims to gather novel insights that advance our understanding of pig fattening performance and meat quality.

In this Special Issue, reviews and original articles are welcome. The research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: the latest advances in identifying factors influencing pig fattening performance and meat quality, and potential strategies that can improve pork quality.

Prof. Dr. Jie Yin
Guest Editor

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • pig
  • fattening
  • meat quality
  • pork
  • growth performance
  • genetics
  • nutrients
  • feed

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 2778 KiB  
Article
Tissue-Specific Expression of the Porcine DHRS3 Gene and Its Impact on the Proliferation and Differentiation of Myogenic Cells
by Jifeng Li, Yong Ruan, Chuanmei Jiang, Jinkui Sun, Dongwei An, Bo Zhou, Huan Liu, Ziyang Li and Houqiang Xu
Animals 2025, 15(8), 1101; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15081101 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 225
Abstract
The DHRS3 gene, a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family, is involved in critical metabolic processes in animals. This study investigated the expression patterns of DHRS3 across various tissues of developmental stages in pigs and preliminarily evaluated its effects on myoblast proliferation, [...] Read more.
The DHRS3 gene, a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family, is involved in critical metabolic processes in animals. This study investigated the expression patterns of DHRS3 across various tissues of developmental stages in pigs and preliminarily evaluated its effects on myoblast proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. RT-qPCR (real-time quantitative PCR) was employed to analyze DHRS3 expression in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, longissimus dorsi, foreleg, and hind leg of pigs at 3 days, 6 months, and 12 months of age. Cell proliferation was analyzed using EdU (5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine) assays, RT-qPCR, and flow cytometry, while the expression changes of proliferation-, apoptosis-, and differentiation-related genes were assessed via RT-qPCR. The results indicated that DHRS3 was expressed in all eight tissues at all three developmental stages. At 3 days, DHRS3 expression was the highest in the kidneys; at 6 months, it peaked in the liver; and at 12 months, it was again the highest in the kidneys. Across all stages, the liver and kidneys exhibited the highest DHRS3 expression levels. Functional studies revealed that DHRS3 overexpression suppressed myoblast proliferation and differentiation while promoting apoptosis. In contrast, DHRS3 inhibition enhanced myoblast proliferation and differentiation and reduced apoptosis. These findings underscore the regulatory role of DHRS3 in myogenesis and provide insights into its metabolic and developmental functions in pigs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Better Fattening Performance, Better Pig Meat Quality)
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