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Liu T, Bai H, Wang S, Gong W, Wang Z. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of prebiotics utilization by Bifidobacterium animalis. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:257. [PMID: 38937374 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-04061-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
In this study, the utilization mechanism of oligosaccharides by Bifidobacterium was investigated through the transcriptome sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics technology of Bifidobacterium animalis cultured with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). The results showed that FOS affected the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate binding transporters (ABC transporters) by increasing the expression levels of msmE, msmG, and gluA. Similarly, GOS improved aminoacyl-tRNA synthases by upregulating the expression of tRNA-Ala, tRNA-Pro, and tRNA-Met. Bifidobacterium animalis cultured with FOS and GOS produced different metabolites, such as histamine, tartaric acid, and norepinephrine, with the functions of inhibiting inflammation, alleviating depression and diseases related to brain and nervous system and maintaining body health. Furthermore, the transcriptome and metabolome analysis results revealed that FOS and GOS promoted the growth and metabolism of Bifidobacterium animalis by regulating the related pathways of carbohydrate, energy, and amino acid metabolism. Overall, the experimental results provided significant insights into the prebiotic effects of FOS and GOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Liu
- Nourse Science Centre for Pet Nutrition, Wuhu, 241200, China
| | - Huasong Bai
- Nourse Science Centre for Pet Nutrition, Wuhu, 241200, China
| | - Songjun Wang
- Nourse Science Centre for Pet Nutrition, Wuhu, 241200, China
| | - Wenhui Gong
- Nourse Science Centre for Pet Nutrition, Wuhu, 241200, China
| | - Zhanzhong Wang
- Nourse Science Centre for Pet Nutrition, Wuhu, 241200, China.
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Cao P, Huang Y, Zong M, Xu Z. De Novo Assembly and Comparative Analysis of the Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai Revealed the Existence of Two Structural Isomers. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:526. [PMID: 36833452 PMCID: PMC9957484 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
As a valuable Chinese traditional medicinal species, Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai (C. speciosa) is a natural resource with significant economic and ornamental value. However, its genetic information is not well understood. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of C. speciosa was assembled and characterized to explore the repeat sequences, recombination events, rearrangements, and IGT, to predict RNA editing sites, and to clarify the phylogenetic and evolutionary relationship. The C. speciosa mitochondrial genome was found to have two circular chromosomes as its major conformation, with a total length of 436,464 bp and 45.2% GC content. The mitochondrial genome contained 54 genes, including 33 unique protein-coding genes, 18 tRNAs, and 3 rRNA genes. Seven pairs of repeat sequences involving recombination events were analyzed. Both the repeat pairs, R1 and R2, played significant roles in mediating the major and minor conformations. In total, 18 MTPTs were identified, 6 of which were complete tRNA genes. There were 454 RNA editing sites in the 33 protein-coding sequences predicted by the PREPACT3 program. A phylogenetic analysis based on 22 species of mitochondrial genomes was constructed and indicated highly conserved PCG sequences. Synteny analyses showed extensive genomic rearrangements in the mitochondrial genome of C. speciosa and closely related species. This work is the first to report the C. speciosa mitochondrial genome, which is of great significance for conducting additional genetic studies on this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Cao
- Institute of Sericulture and Tea, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Yuan Huang
- Institute of Sericulture and Tea, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Mei Zong
- College of Life Sciences, Anqing Normal University, Anqing 246133, China
| | - Zilong Xu
- Institute of Sericulture and Tea, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
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3
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Akhmerova YN, Shpakova TA, Grammatikati KS, Mitrofanov SI, Kazakova PG, Mkrtchian AA, Zemsky PU, Pilipenko MN, Feliz NV, Frolova LV, Frolovskaya AA, Yudin VS, Keskinov AA, Kraevoy SA, Yudin SM, Skvortsova VI. Genetic Variants Associated with Bronchial Asthma Specific to the Population of the Russian Federation. Acta Naturae 2023; 15:31-41. [PMID: 37153512 PMCID: PMC10154776 DOI: 10.32607/actanaturae.11853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Bronchial asthma (BA) is a disease that still lacks an exhaustive treatment protocol. In this regard, the global medical community pays special attention to the genetic prerequisites for the occurrence of this disease. Therefore, the search for the genetic polymorphisms underlying bronchial asthma has expanded considerably. As the present study progressed, a significant amount of scientific medical literature was analyzed and 167 genes reported to be associated with the development of bronchial asthma were identified. A group of participants (n = 7,303) who had voluntarily provided their biomaterial (venous blood) to be used in the research conducted by the Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia was formed to subsequently perform a bioinformatic verification of known associations and search for new ones. This group of participants was divided into four cohorts, including two sex-distinct cohorts of individuals with a history of asthma and two sex-distinct cohorts of apparently healthy individuals. A search for polymorphisms was made in each cohort among the selected genes, and genetic variants were identified whose difference in occurrence in the different cohorts was statistically significant (significance level less than 0.0001). The study revealed 11 polymorphisms that affect the development of asthma: four genetic variants (rs869106717, rs1461555098, rs189649077, and rs1199362453), which are more common in men with bronchial asthma compared to apparently healthy men; five genetic variants (rs1923038536, rs181066119, rs143247175, rs140597386, and rs762042586), which are more common in women with bronchial asthma compared to apparently healthy women; and two genetic variants (rs1219244986 and rs2291651) that are rare in women with a history of asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. N. Akhmerova
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - T. A. Shpakova
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - K. S. Grammatikati
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - S. I. Mitrofanov
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - P. G. Kazakova
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - A. A. Mkrtchian
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - P. U. Zemsky
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - M. N. Pilipenko
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - N. V. Feliz
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - L. V. Frolova
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - A. A. Frolovskaya
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - V. S. Yudin
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - A. A. Keskinov
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - S. A. Kraevoy
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - S. M. Yudin
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Center for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Center for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 119121 Russian Federation
| | - V. I. Skvortsova
- Federal Medical Biological Agency (FMBA of Russia), Moscow, 123182 Russian Federation
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Betschart RO, Thiéry A, Aguilera-Garcia D, Zoche M, Moch H, Twerenbold R, Zeller T, Blankenberg S, Ziegler A. Comparison of calling pipelines for whole genome sequencing: an empirical study demonstrating the importance of mapping and alignment. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21502. [PMID: 36513709 PMCID: PMC9748128 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26181-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies have enabled the conduct of whole genome sequencing (WGS) studies, and several bioinformatics pipelines have become available. The aim of this study was the comparison of 6 WGS data pre-processing pipelines, involving two mapping and alignment approaches (GATK utilizing BWA-MEM2 2.2.1, and DRAGEN 3.8.4) and three variant calling pipelines (GATK 4.2.4.1, DRAGEN 3.8.4 and DeepVariant 1.1.0). We sequenced one genome in a bottle (GIAB) sample 70 times in different runs, and one GIAB trio in triplicate. The truth set of the GIABs was used for comparison, and performance was assessed by computation time, F1 score, precision, and recall. In the mapping and alignment step, the DRAGEN pipeline was faster than the GATK with BWA-MEM2 pipeline. DRAGEN showed systematically higher F1 score, precision, and recall values than GATK for single nucleotide variations (SNVs) and Indels in simple-to-map, complex-to-map, coding and non-coding regions. In the variant calling step, DRAGEN was fastest. In terms of accuracy, DRAGEN and DeepVariant performed similarly and both superior to GATK, with slight advantages for DRAGEN for Indels and for DeepVariant for SNVs. The DRAGEN pipeline showed the lowest Mendelian inheritance error fraction for the GIAB trios. Mapping and alignment played a key role in variant calling of WGS, with the DRAGEN outperforming GATK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael O. Betschart
- Cardio-CARE, Medizincampus Davos, Herman-Burchard-Str. 1, 7265 Davos Wolfgang, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Thiéry
- Cardio-CARE, Medizincampus Davos, Herman-Burchard-Str. 1, 7265 Davos Wolfgang, Switzerland
| | - Domingo Aguilera-Garcia
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Zoche
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Holger Moch
- grid.412004.30000 0004 0478 9977Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Raphael Twerenbold
- grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Department of Cardiology, University Heart & Vascular Center, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484University Center of Cardiovascular Research Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.452396.f0000 0004 5937 5237German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tanja Zeller
- grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Department of Cardiology, University Heart & Vascular Center, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484University Center of Cardiovascular Research Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.452396.f0000 0004 5937 5237German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Blankenberg
- Cardio-CARE, Medizincampus Davos, Herman-Burchard-Str. 1, 7265 Davos Wolfgang, Switzerland ,grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Department of Cardiology, University Heart & Vascular Center, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484University Center of Cardiovascular Research Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.452396.f0000 0004 5937 5237German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Ziegler
- Cardio-CARE, Medizincampus Davos, Herman-Burchard-Str. 1, 7265 Davos Wolfgang, Switzerland ,grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Department of Cardiology, University Heart & Vascular Center, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany ,School Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, Scottsville, Private Bag X01, Pietermaritzburg, 3209 South Africa
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Casto-Rebollo C, Argente MJ, García ML, Blasco A, Ibáñez-Escriche N. Selection for environmental variance of litter size in rabbits involves genes in pathways controlling animal resilience. Genet Sel Evol 2021; 53:59. [PMID: 34256696 PMCID: PMC8276493 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-021-00653-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental variance (VE) is partially under genetic control, which means that the VE of individuals that share the same environment can differ because they have different genotypes. Previously, a divergent selection experiment for VE of litter size (LS) during 13 generations in rabbit yielded a successful response and revealed differences in resilience between the divergent lines. The aim of the current study was to identify signatures of selection in these divergent lines to better understand the molecular mechanisms and pathways that control VE of LS and animal resilience. Three methods (FST, ROH and varLD) were used to identify signatures of selection in a set of 473 genotypes from these rabbit lines (377) and a base population (96). A whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis was performed on 54 animals to detect genes with functional mutations. Results By combining signatures of selection and WGS data, we detected 373 genes with functional mutations in their transcription units, among which 111 had functions related to the immune system, stress response, reproduction and embryo development, and/or carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The genes TTC23L, FBXL20, GHDC, ENSOCUG00000031631, SLC18A1, CD300LG, MC2R, and ENSOCUG00000006264 were particularly relevant, since each one carried a functional mutation that was fixed in one of the rabbit lines and absent in the other line. In the 3ʹUTR region of the MC2R and ENSOCUG00000006264 genes, we detected a novel insertion/deletion (INDEL) variant. Conclusions Our findings provide further evidence in favour of VE as a measure of animal resilience. Signatures of selection were identified for VE of LS in genes that have a functional mutation in their transcription units and are mostly implicated in the immune response and stress response pathways. However, the real implications of these genes for VE and animal resilience will need to be assessed through functional analyses. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12711-021-00653-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Casto-Rebollo
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - María José Argente
- Departamento de Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Orihuela, Spain
| | - María Luz García
- Departamento de Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Orihuela, Spain
| | - Agustín Blasco
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Noelia Ibáñez-Escriche
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain.
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Jäger N. Bioinformatics workflows for clinical applications in precision oncology. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 84:103-112. [PMID: 33476720 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
High-throughput molecular profiling of tumors is a fundamental aspect of precision oncology, enabling the identification of genomic alterations that can be targeted therapeutically. In this context, a patient is matched to a specific drug or therapy based on the tumor's underlying genetic driver events rather than the histologic classification. This approach requires extensive bioinformatics methodology and workflows, including raw sequencing data processing and quality control, variant calling and annotation, integration of different molecular data types, visualization and finally reporting the data to physicians, cancer researchers and pharmacologists in a format that is readily interpretable for clinical decision making. This review comprises a broad overview of these bioinformatics aspects and discusses the multiple analytical, technical and interpretational challenges that remain to efficiently translate molecular findings into personalized treatment recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Jäger
- Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ) & Division of Pediatric Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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Li N, Cai Q, Miao Q, Song Z, Fang Y, Hu B. High-Throughput Metagenomics for Identification of Pathogens in the Clinical Settings. SMALL METHODS 2021; 5:2000792. [PMID: 33614906 PMCID: PMC7883231 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202000792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The application of sequencing technology is shifting from research to clinical laboratories owing to rapid technological developments and substantially reduced costs. However, although thousands of microorganisms are known to infect humans, identification of the etiological agents for many diseases remains challenging as only a small proportion of pathogens are identifiable by the current diagnostic methods. These challenges are compounded by the emergence of new pathogens. Hence, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), an agnostic, unbiased, and comprehensive method for detection, and taxonomic characterization of microorganisms, has become an attractive strategy. Although many studies, and cases reports, have confirmed the success of mNGS in improving the diagnosis, treatment, and tracking of infectious diseases, several hurdles must still be overcome. It is, therefore, imperative that practitioners and clinicians understand both the benefits and limitations of mNGS when applying it to clinical practice. Interestingly, the emerging third-generation sequencing technologies may partially offset the disadvantages of mNGS. In this review, mainly: a) the history of sequencing technology; b) various NGS technologies, common platforms, and workflows for clinical applications; c) the application of NGS in pathogen identification; d) the global expert consensus on NGS-related methods in clinical applications; and e) challenges associated with diagnostic metagenomics are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Li
- Department of Infectious DiseasesZhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghai200032China
| | - Qingqing Cai
- Genoxor Medical Science and Technology Inc.Zhejiang317317China
| | - Qing Miao
- Department of Infectious DiseasesZhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghai200032China
| | - Zeshi Song
- Genoxor Medical Science and Technology Inc.Zhejiang317317China
| | - Yuan Fang
- Genoxor Medical Science and Technology Inc.Zhejiang317317China
| | - Bijie Hu
- Department of Infectious DiseasesZhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghai200032China
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Casto-Rebollo C, Argente MJ, García ML, Pena R, Ibáñez-Escriche N. Identification of functional mutations associated with environmental variance of litter size in rabbits. Genet Sel Evol 2020; 52:22. [PMID: 32375645 PMCID: PMC7203823 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-020-00542-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental variance (VE) is partly under genetic control and has recently been proposed as a measure of resilience. Unravelling the genetic background of the VE of complex traits could help to improve resilience of livestock and stabilize their production across farming systems. The objective of this study was to identify genes and functional mutations associated with variation in VE of litter size (LS) in rabbits. To achieve this, we combined the results of a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and a whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis using data from two divergently selected rabbit lines for high and low VE of LS. These lines differ in terms of biomarkers of immune response and mortality. Moreover, rabbits with a lower VE of LS were found to be more resilient to infections than animals with a higher VE of LS. Results By using two GWAS approaches (single-marker regression and Bayesian multiple-marker regression), we identified four genomic regions associated with VE of LS, on chromosomes 3, 7, 10, and 14. We detected 38 genes in the associated genomic regions and, using WGS, we identified 129 variants in the splicing, UTR, and coding (missense and frameshift effects) regions of 16 of these 38 genes. These genes were related to the immune system, the development of sensory structures, and stress responses. All of these variants (except one) segregated in one of the rabbit lines and were absent (n = 91) or fixed in the other one (n = 37). The fixed variants were in the HDAC9, ITGB8, MIS18A, ENSOCUG00000021276 and URB1 genes. We also identified a 1-bp deletion in the 3′UTR region of the HUNK gene that was fixed in the low VE line and absent in the high VE line. Conclusions This is the first study that combines GWAS and WGS analyses to study the genetic basis of VE. The new candidate genes and functional mutations identified in this study suggest that the VE of LS is under the control of functions related to the immune system, stress response, and the nervous system. These findings could also explain differences in resilience between rabbits with homogeneous and heterogeneous VE of litter size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Casto-Rebollo
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - María José Argente
- Departamento de Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Orihuela, Spain
| | - María Luz García
- Departamento de Tecnología Agroalimentaria, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Orihuela, Spain
| | - Romi Pena
- Departament de Ciència Animal, Universitat de Lleida-AGROTECNIO Center, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Noelia Ibáñez-Escriche
- Institute for Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain.
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