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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.09.05.749592

Genetic regulation of circulating metabolome in cattle

Teng, J.·Li, H.·Yang, J.·Lu, J.·Duan, C.·Chen, Z.·Zhang, X.·Zhao, X.·Pei, F.·Wu, X.·Zhao, P.·Zhang, H.·Gao, H.·Guo, L.·Wang, D.·Ning, C.·Liu, H.·Su, G.·Li, R.·Gao, Y.·Li, J.·Zhang, Q.·Fang, L.·Wang, X.
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Abstract

The circulating metabolome is a vital intermediate layer linking genetics to complex phenotypes, yet existing genome-wide studies-even in humans-rarely capture dynamic physiological contexts or cellular regulatory mechanisms. Here, we present the Cattle Metabolome Atlas (https://cattlema.farmgtex.org/), a comprehensive resource of 3,436 plasma metabolites and 4,851 serum metabolites from 4,651 animals with matched sequence-level genotypes across highly dynamic parity and lactation stages. We mapped 728 plasma and 622 serum metabolite quantitative trait loci (mQTL), revealing widespread context-dependent regulatory architectures. Integrating these mQTL with the multi-tissue expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and single-cell atlas of 59 tissues demonstrates that 74-79% of mQTL colocalize with eQTL across 29 tissues, prioritizing the liver as the primary systemic hub and resolving metabolic programs at single-cell resolution. Furthermore, we charted 538 causal gene-tissue-metabolite-trait cascades across 11 complex traits in cattle. Finally, cross-species analyses demonstrate partial evolutionary conservation of genetic metabolism between cattle and humans, establishing this atlas as a powerful asset for cattle genetics and genomics, selective breeding, and comparative biology.

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Teng, J., Li, H., Yang, J., Lu, J., Duan, C., Chen, Z., Zhang, X., Zhao, X., Pei, F., Wu, X., Zhao, P., Zhang, H., Gao, H., Guo, L., Wang, D., Ning, C., Liu, H., Su, G., Li, R., Gao, Y., Li, J., Zhang, Q., Fang, L., Wang, X.. 2026-09-11. Genetic regulation of circulating metabolome in cattle. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.05.749592

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