Phosphate (P) is an essential nutrient for both muscular and skeletal growth. Because the sources of dietary P in contemporary swine diets are poorly available for the simple stomach animals, inorganic phosphate sources are supplemented to these diets to prevent P deficiency. However, with the identification of P as one of the main polluting nutrients in fresh water system and soil, environmental concern and costs associated with P supplementation have led researchers to minimize the amount of P added to swine diets. Despite the vast amount of work conducted in this area, little research has examined the genetic mechanisms underlying the control of P utilization. Lack of understanding of the molecular response of skeletal muscle to dietary P and the influence of genetics has hindered our understanding of P homeostatic mechanisms. The objectives of my PhD research are to identify changes in gene expression in growing porcine muscle because of dietary P and genetic background and the interaction between dietary P and genetic background to examine the effects of decreasing dietary P intake and genetic background on the carcass characteristics and meat quality, and examine the impact of P deficiency hormonal profiles on the proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells isolated from young pigs. Elucidating the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying P utilization by muscle tissue could lead to strategies to increase the efficiency of growth in domestic animals while doing so in a more environmentally friendly manner.