Selection for Residual Feed Intake Alters the Protein Profile of the Mitochondria in Pigs

Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying feed efficiency is paramount to creating a more efficient pork production system. Selection for residual feed intake (RFI) is a measure of feed efficiency and can be used as a model to determine these biological mechanisms. The mitochondria are responsible for the conversion of dietary energy to cellular energy in the form of ATP. ATP is used by many biological pathways for both growth and maintenance. These data show the mitochondria protein profile is altered with genetic selection for RFI. This alteration in protein profile indicates mitochondria from more efficient low RFI pigs may be better equipped to handle physiological stress than their less efficient high RFI counterparts. Some of these differences are highlighted in heat shock proteins, and proteins responsible for ATP production. These alterations in the protein profile provide clues for determining the biological differences between pigs genetically selected from low and high RFI.