IRS2 and Insulin resistance: Our transcriptome analysis indicated that the genes, such as IRS2, FOXO1, and GLUT4, involved in the insulin signaling response were also more highly expressed in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Xiang pigs than in Large White pigs, which is consistent with previous studies that up regulated genes involved in insulin signaling pathway and insulin resistance in local pig breeds compared to western commercial pigs14,34.