Work

Depot-specific lipidomics identifies GM3 ganglioside as a regulator of fat deposition in pigs through mitotic clonal expansion

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: High fat deposition reduces feeding efficiency in pigs. Therefore, analyzing adipose tissue lipids and identifying key targets that regulate fat accumulation are essential for improving fat-related economic traits. In this study, we performed a lipidomic atlas of nine adipose depots from 6-month-old Laiwu pigs, a Chinese native fat-type breed known for high intramuscular fat, to identify depot-specific lipids and potential targets for fat regulation. We found that intermuscular adipose tissue (IAD) has the smallest cross-sectional area, and that the nine fat depots can be classified into three major categories based on their lipid profiles: subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and pericardial adipose tissue (PAT). The inner layer of backfat (ILB) exhibited the highest abundance of GM3 ganglioside among the depots, suggesting a potential role in fat deposition. GM3 ganglioside treatment reduced lipid accumulation in porcine preadipocytes and fat deposition in mice, accompanied by downregulation of lipogenesis-related genes. Mechanistically, high expression level of ST3GAL5 , the key gene involved in GM3 ganglioside biosynthesis, was associated with elevated GM3 ganglioside levels in ILB. Loss-of-function experiments demonstrated that ST3GAL5 knockdown induced fat deposition and upregulated the expression of lipogenesis-related genes in porcine preadipocytes by modulating mitotic clonal expansion. In conclusion, our study provides a comprehensive lipidomic landscape across pig fat depots and suggests that GM3 ganglioside and the ST3GAL5 gene are potential molecular targets for reducing fat deposition in fat-type pig breeds.

Source: Journal of Integrative Agriculture

DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2026.06.029