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Zhang J, Li X, Wang R, Feng X, Wang S, Wang H, Wang Y, Li H, Li Y, Guo Y. DNA methylation patterns in patients with asthenospermia and oligoasthenospermia. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:602. [PMID: 38886667 PMCID: PMC11181631 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10491-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spermatogenesis is a highly regulated and complex process in which DNA methylation plays a crucial role. This study aimed to explore the differential methylation profiles in sperm DNA between patients with asthenospermia (AS) and healthy controls (HCs), those with oligoasthenospermia (OAS) and HCs, and patients with AS and those with OAS. RESULTS Semen samples and clinical data were collected from five patients with AS, five patients with OAS, and six age-matched HCs. Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) was performed to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in sperm cells among the different types of patients and HCs. A total of 6520, 28,019, and 16,432 DMRs were detected between AS and HC, OAS and HC, and AS and OAS groups, respectively. These DMRs were predominantly located within gene bodies and mapped to 2868, 9296, and 9090 genes in the respective groups. Of note, 12, 9, and 8 DMRs in each group were closely associated with spermatogenesis and male infertility. Furthermore, BDNF, SMARCB1, PIK3CA, and DDX27; RBMX and SPATA17; ASZ1, CDH1, and CHDH were identified as strong differentially methylated candidate genes in each group, respectively. Meanwhile, the GO analysis of DMR-associated genes in the AS vs. HC groups revealed that protein binding, cytoplasm, and transcription (DNA-templated) were the most enriched terms in the biological process (BP), cellular component (CC), and molecular function (MF), respectively. Likewise, in both the OAS vs. HC and AS vs. OAS groups, GO analysis revealed protein binding, nucleus, and transcription (DNA-templated) as the most enriched terms in BP, CC, and MF, respectively. Finally, the KEGG analysis of DMR-annotated genes and these genes at promoters suggested that metabolic pathways were the most significantly associated across all three groups. CONCLUSIONS The current study results revealed distinctive sperm DNA methylation patterns in the AS vs. HC and OAS vs. HC groups, particularly between patients with AS and those with OAS. The identification of key genes associated with spermatogenesis and male infertility in addition to the differentially enriched metabolic pathways may contribute to uncovering the potential pathogenesis in different types of abnormal sperm parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingdi Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xiaogang Li
- Medical Science Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Rongrong Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xinxin Feng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Siyu Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Hai Wang
- Department of Urology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yutao Wang
- Department of Urology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongjun Li
- Department of Urology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongzhe Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Ye Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
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Guo W, Li X, Qin K, Zhang P, He J, Liu Y, Yang X, Wu S. Nanopore sequencing demonstrates the roles of spermatozoal DNA N6-methyladenine in mediating transgenerational lipid metabolism disorder induced by excessive folate consumpton. Poult Sci 2024; 103:103953. [PMID: 38945000 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103953] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Increased consumption of folic acid is prevalent due to its beneficial effects, but growing evidence emphasizes the side effects pointing to excessive dietary folate intake. The effects of excessive paternal folic acid consumption on offspring and its transgenerational inheritance mechanism have not been elucidated. We hypothesize that excessive folic acid consumption will alter sperm DNA N6-methyladenine (6mA) and 5-methylcytosine (5mC) methylation and heritably influence offspring metabolic homeostasis. Here, we fed roosters either folic acid-control or folic acid-excess diet throughout life. Paternal chronic folic acid excessive supplementation increased hepatic lipogenesis and lipid accumulation but reduced lipolysis both in the roosters and their offspring, which was further confirmed to be induced by one-carbon metabolism inhibition and gene expression alteration associated with the Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor pathway. Based on the spermatozoal genome-wide DNA methylome identified by Nanopore sequencing, multi-omics association analysis of spermatozoal and hepatic DNA methylome, transcriptome, and metabolome suggested that differential spermatozoal DNA 6mA and 5mC methylation could be involved in regulating lipid metabolism-related gene expression in offspring chickens. This model suggests that sperm DNA N6-methyladenine and 5-methylcytosine methylation were involved in epigenetic transmission and that paternal dietary excess folic acid leads to hepatic lipid accumulation in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Jiangsu Institute of Poultry Science, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, 225125, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xinyi Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden
| | - Kailong Qin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Peilin Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Jinhui He
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yanli Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xiaojun Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Shengru Wu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 17165, Sweden.
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3
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Fouladvandi R, Masoudi AA, Totonchi M, Hezavehei M, Sharafi M. Effects of different extenders on epigenetic patterns and functional parameters of bull sperm during cryopreservation process. Reprod Domest Anim 2024; 59:e14570. [PMID: 38700367 DOI: 10.1111/rda.14570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
The cryopreservation process induces alterations in cellular parameters and epigenetic patterns in bull sperm, which can be prevented by adding cryoprotectants in the freezing extenders. The purpose of this study was to compare the protective effects of two extenders based on soybean lecithin (SLE) and egg yolk (EYE) on epigenetic patterns and quality parameters of sperm such as motility parameters, mitochondrial membrane integrity, DNA fragmentation, viability, and apoptotic-like changes of bull sperm after cryopreservation. Results demonstrated that cryopreservation significantly (p < .05) reduced the level of DNA global methylation, H3K9 histone acetylation, and H3K4 histone methylation in both frozen groups compared to the fresh sperm. Also, the level of H3K9 acetylation was lower in the frozen SLE group (21.2 ± 1.86) compared to EYE group (15.2 ± 1.86). In addition, the SLE frozen group had a higher percentage of viability, progressive motility, and linearity (LIN) in SLE frozen group compared to EYE frozen group. However, no difference was observed in mitochondrial membrane integrity and DNA fragmentation between SLE and EYE frozen groups. While soybean-lecithin-based extender showed some initial positive impacts of epigenetics and semen parameters, further investigations can provide useful information for better freezing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razieh Fouladvandi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Masoudi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Totonchi
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Hezavehei
- Department of Embryology at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Research Center for Reproduction and Fertility, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Montreal University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mohsen Sharafi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- Semex Alliance, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Wang M, Bissonnette N, Laterrière M, Dudemaine PL, Gagné D, Roy JP, Sirard MA, Ibeagha-Awemu EM. DNA methylation haplotype block signatures responding to Staphylococcus aureus subclinical mastitis and association with production and health traits. BMC Biol 2024; 22:65. [PMID: 38486242 PMCID: PMC10941392 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01843-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA methylation has been documented to play vital roles in diseases and biological processes. In bovine, little is known about the regulatory roles of DNA methylation alterations on production and health traits, including mastitis. RESULTS Here, we employed whole-genome DNA methylation sequencing to profile the DNA methylation patterns of milk somatic cells from sixteen cows with naturally occurring Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) subclinical mastitis and ten healthy control cows. We observed abundant DNA methylation alterations, including 3,356,456 differentially methylated cytosines and 153,783 differential methylation haplotype blocks (dMHBs). The DNA methylation in regulatory regions, including promoters, first exons and first introns, showed global significant negative correlations with gene expression status. We identified 6435 dMHBs located in the regulatory regions of differentially expressed genes and significantly correlated with their corresponding genes, revealing their potential effects on transcriptional activities. Genes harboring DNA methylation alterations were significantly enriched in multiple immune- and disease-related pathways, suggesting the involvement of DNA methylation in regulating host responses to S. aureus subclinical mastitis. In addition, we found nine discriminant signatures (differentiates cows with S. aureus subclinical mastitis from healthy cows) representing the majority of the DNA methylation variations related to S. aureus subclinical mastitis. Validation of seven dMHBs in 200 cows indicated significant associations with mammary gland health (SCC and SCS) and milk production performance (milk yield). CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, our findings revealed abundant DNA methylation alterations in milk somatic cells that may be involved in regulating mammary gland defense against S. aureus infection. Particularly noteworthy is the identification of seven dMHBs showing significant associations with mammary gland health, underscoring their potential as promising epigenetic biomarkers. Overall, our findings on DNA methylation alterations offer novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms of bovine subclinical mastitis, providing further avenues for the development of effective control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Wang
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Department of Animal Science, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Nathalie Bissonnette
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Mario Laterrière
- Quebec Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Pier-Luc Dudemaine
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - David Gagné
- Quebec Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Roy
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | | | - Eveline M Ibeagha-Awemu
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
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5
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Hossain MN, Gao Y, Hatfield MJ, de Avila JM, McClure MC, Du M. Cold exposure impacts DNA methylation patterns in cattle sperm. Front Genet 2024; 15:1346150. [PMID: 38444759 PMCID: PMC10912962 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1346150] [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: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is influenced by various exogenous factors such as nutrition, temperature, toxicants, and stress. Bulls from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and other northern areas are exposed to extreme cold temperatures during winter. However, the effects of cold exposure on the methylation patterns of bovine sperm remain unclear. To address, DNA methylation profiles of sperm collected during late spring and winter from the same bulls were analyzed using whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). Bismark (0.22.3) were used for mapping the WGBS reads and R Bioconductor package DSS was used for differential methylation analysis. Cold exposure induced 3,163 differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) with methylation difference ≥10% and a q-value < 0.05. We identified 438 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) with q-value < 0.05, which overlapped with 186 unique genes. We also identified eight unique differentially methylated genes (DMGs) (Pax6, Macf1, Mest, Ubqln1, Smg9, Ctnnb1, Lsm4, and Peg10) involved in embryonic development, and nine unique DMGs (Prmt6, Nipal1, C21h15orf40, Slc37a3, Fam210a, Raly, Rgs3, Lmbr1, and Gan) involved in osteogenesis. Peg10 and Mest, two paternally expressed imprinted genes, exhibited >50% higher methylation. The differential methylation patterns of six distinct DMRs: Peg10, Smg9 and Mest related to embryonic development and Lmbr1, C21h15orf40 and Prtm6 related to osteogenesis, were assessed by methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR), which confirmed the existence of variable methylation patterns in those locations across the two seasons. In summary, cold exposure induces differential DNA methylation patterns in genes that appear to affect embryonic development and osteogenesis in the offspring. Our findings suggest the importance of replicating the results of the current study with a larger sample size and exploring the potential of these changes in affecting offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nazmul Hossain
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Department of Livestock Production and Management, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal, and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Yao Gao
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Michael J. Hatfield
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Jeanene M. de Avila
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | | | - Min Du
- Nutrigenomics and Growth Biology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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6
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Tennenbaum SR, Bortner R, Lynch C, Santymire R, Crosier A, Santiestevan J, Marinari P, Pukazhenthi BS, Comizzoli P, Hawkins MTR, Maldonado JE, Koepfli K, vonHoldt BM, DeCandia AL. Epigenetic changes to gene pathways linked to male fertility in ex situ black-footed ferrets. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13634. [PMID: 38283602 PMCID: PMC10818088 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental variation can influence the reproductive success of species managed under human care and in the wild, yet the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely mysterious. Molecular mechanisms such as epigenetic modifiers are important in mediating the timing and progression of reproduction in humans and model organisms, but few studies have linked epigenetic variation to reproductive fitness in wildlife. Here, we investigated epigenetic variation in black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), an endangered North American mammal reliant on ex situ management for survival and persistence in the wild. Despite similar levels of genetic diversity in human-managed and wild-born populations, individuals in ex situ facilities exhibit reproductive problems, such as poor sperm quality. Differences across these settings suggest that an environmentally driven decline in reproductive capacity may be occurring in this species. We examined the role of DNA methylation, one well-studied epigenetic modifier, in this emergent condition. We leveraged blood, testes, and semen samples from male black-footed ferrets bred in ex situ facilities and found tissue-type specificity in DNA methylation across the genome, although 1360 Gene Ontology terms associated with male average litter size shared functions across tissues. We then constructed gene networks of differentially methylated genomic sites associated with three different reproductive phenotypes to explore the putative biological impact of variation in DNA methylation. Sperm gene networks associated with average litter size and sperm count were functionally enriched for candidate genes involved in reproduction, development, and its regulation through transcriptional repression. We propose that DNA methylation plays an important role in regulating these reproductive phenotypes, thereby impacting the fertility of male ex situ individuals. Our results provide information into how DNA methylation may function in the alteration of reproductive pathways and phenotypes in artificial environments. These findings provide early insights to conservation hurdles faced in the protection of this rare species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robyn Bortner
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Black‐Footed Ferret Conservation CenterCarrColoradoUSA
| | | | - Rachel Santymire
- Biology DepartmentGeorgia State UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Center for Species SurvivalSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Adrienne Crosier
- Center for Animal Care SciencesSmithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Jenny Santiestevan
- Center for Species SurvivalSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Paul Marinari
- Center for Animal Care SciencesSmithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Budhan S. Pukazhenthi
- Center for Species SurvivalSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Pierre Comizzoli
- Center for Species SurvivalSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | - Melissa T. R. Hawkins
- Division of Mammals, Department of Vertebrate ZoologyNational Museum of Natural HistoryWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Jesús E. Maldonado
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteWashingtonDCUSA
| | - Klaus‐Peter Koepfli
- Center for Species SurvivalSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
- Smithsonian‐Mason School of ConservationGeorge Mason UniversityFront RoyalVirginiaUSA
| | | | - Alexandra L. DeCandia
- Center for Conservation GenomicsSmithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteWashingtonDCUSA
- BiologyGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
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Yang C, Xiao Y, Wang X, Wei X, Wang J, Gao Y, Jiang Q, Ju Z, Zhang Y, Liu W, Huang N, Li Y, Gao Y, Wang L, Huang J. Coordinated alternation of DNA methylation and alternative splicing of PBRM1 affect bovine sperm structure and motility. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2183339. [PMID: 36866611 PMCID: PMC9988346 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2183339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation and gene alternative splicing drive spermatogenesis. In screening DNA methylation markers and transcripts related to sperm motility, semen from three pairs of full-sibling Holstein bulls with high and low motility was subjected to reduced representation bisulphite sequencing. A total of 948 DMRs were found in 874 genes (gDMRs). Approximately 89% of gDMR-related genes harboured alternative splicing events, including SMAD2, KIF17, and PBRM1. One DMR in exon 29 of PBRM1 with the highest 5mC ratio was found, and hypermethylation in this region was related to bull sperm motility. Furthermore, alternative splicing events at exon 29 of PBRM1 were found in bull testis, including PBRM1-complete, PBRM1-SV1 (exon 28 deletion), and PBRM1-SV2 (exons 28-29 deletion). PBRM1-SV2 exhibited significantly higher expression in adult bull testes than in newborn bull testes. In addition, PBRM1 was localized to the redundant nuclear membrane of bull sperm, which might be related to sperm motility caused by sperm tail breakage. Therefore, the hypermethylation of exon 29 may be associated with the production of PBRM1-SV2 in spermatogenesis. These findings indicated that DNA methylation alteration at specific loci could regulate gene splicing and expression and synergistically alter sperm structure and motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Yao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Xiuge Wang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Xiaochao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Jinpeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Yaping Gao
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Qiang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Zhihua Ju
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China.,College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, P. R. China
| | - Yaran Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Wenhao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Ning Huang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Yanqin Li
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Yundong Gao
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Lingling Wang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Jinming Huang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China.,College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, P. R. China
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8
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Zhang J, Sheng H, Hu C, Li F, Cai B, Ma Y, Wang Y, Ma Y. Effects of DNA Methylation on Gene Expression and Phenotypic Traits in Cattle: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11882. [PMID: 37569258 PMCID: PMC10419045 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241511882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression in cells is determined by the epigenetic state of chromatin. Therefore, the study of epigenetic changes is very important to understand the regulatory mechanism of genes at the molecular, cellular, tissue and organ levels. DNA methylation is one of the most studied epigenetic modifications, which plays an important role in maintaining genome stability and ensuring normal growth and development. Studies have shown that methylation levels in bovine primordial germ cells, the rearrangement of methylation during embryonic development and abnormal methylation during placental development are all closely related to their reproductive processes. In addition, the application of bovine male sterility and assisted reproductive technology is also related to DNA methylation. This review introduces the principle, development of detection methods and application conditions of DNA methylation, with emphasis on the relationship between DNA methylation dynamics and bovine spermatogenesis, embryonic development, disease resistance and muscle and fat development, in order to provide theoretical basis for the application of DNA methylation in cattle breeding in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junxing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular Cell Breeding of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; (J.Z.); (H.S.); (C.H.); (F.L.); (B.C.); (Y.M.)
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Hui Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular Cell Breeding of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; (J.Z.); (H.S.); (C.H.); (F.L.); (B.C.); (Y.M.)
| | - Chunli Hu
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular Cell Breeding of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; (J.Z.); (H.S.); (C.H.); (F.L.); (B.C.); (Y.M.)
| | - Fen Li
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular Cell Breeding of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; (J.Z.); (H.S.); (C.H.); (F.L.); (B.C.); (Y.M.)
| | - Bei Cai
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular Cell Breeding of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; (J.Z.); (H.S.); (C.H.); (F.L.); (B.C.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yanfen Ma
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular Cell Breeding of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; (J.Z.); (H.S.); (C.H.); (F.L.); (B.C.); (Y.M.)
| | - Yachun Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yun Ma
- Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular Cell Breeding of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; (J.Z.); (H.S.); (C.H.); (F.L.); (B.C.); (Y.M.)
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9
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Zhao P, Peng C, Fang L, Wang Z, Liu GE. Taming transposable elements in livestock and poultry: a review of their roles and applications. Genet Sel Evol 2023; 55:50. [PMID: 37479995 PMCID: PMC10362595 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-023-00821-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Livestock and poultry play a significant role in human nutrition by converting agricultural by-products into high-quality proteins. To meet the growing demand for safe animal protein, genetic improvement of livestock must be done sustainably while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Transposable elements (TE) are important components of livestock and poultry genomes, contributing to their genetic diversity, chromatin states, gene regulatory networks, and complex traits of economic value. However, compared to other species, research on TE in livestock and poultry is still in its early stages. In this review, we analyze 72 studies published in the past 20 years, summarize the TE composition in livestock and poultry genomes, and focus on their potential roles in functional genomics. We also discuss bioinformatic tools and strategies for integrating multi-omics data with TE, and explore future directions, feasibility, and challenges of TE research in livestock and poultry. In addition, we suggest strategies to apply TE in basic biological research and animal breeding. Our goal is to provide a new perspective on the importance of TE in livestock and poultry genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengju Zhao
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Hainan Sanya, 572000, China
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Peng
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Hainan Sanya, 572000, China
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Zhengguang Wang
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Hainan Sanya, 572000, China.
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
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10
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Wang X, Li W, Feng X, Li J, Liu GE, Fang L, Yu Y. Harnessing male germline epigenomics for the genetic improvement in cattle. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:76. [PMID: 37277852 PMCID: PMC10242889 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00874-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sperm is essential for successful artificial insemination in dairy cattle, and its quality can be influenced by both epigenetic modification and epigenetic inheritance. The bovine germline differentiation is characterized by epigenetic reprogramming, while intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance can influence the offspring's development through the transmission of epigenetic features to the offspring via the germline. Therefore, the selection of bulls with superior sperm quality for the production and fertility traits requires a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanism and more accurate identifications of epigenetic biomarkers. We have comprehensively reviewed the current progress in the studies of bovine sperm epigenome in terms of both resources and biological discovery in order to provide perspectives on how to harness this valuable information for genetic improvement in the cattle breeding industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- Konge Larsen ApS, Kongens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xia Feng
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianbing Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
| | - Ying Yu
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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11
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Chen S, Liu S, Shi S, Jiang Y, Cao M, Tang Y, Li W, Liu J, Fang L, Yu Y, Zhang S. Comparative epigenomics reveals the impact of ruminant-specific regulatory elements on complex traits. BMC Biol 2022; 20:273. [PMID: 36482458 PMCID: PMC9730597 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01459-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insights into the genetic basis of complex traits and disease in both human and livestock species have been achieved over the past decade through detection of genetic variants in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A majority of such variants were found located in noncoding genomic regions, and though the involvement of numerous regulatory elements (REs) has been predicted across multiple tissues in domesticated animals, their evolutionary conservation and effects on complex traits have not been fully elucidated, particularly in ruminants. Here, we systematically analyzed 137 epigenomic and transcriptomic datasets of six mammals, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, mice, and humans, and then integrated them with large-scale GWAS of complex traits. RESULTS Using 40 ChIP-seq datasets of H3K4me3 and H3K27ac, we detected 68,479, 58,562, 63,273, 97,244, 111,881, and 87,049 REs in the liver of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, humans and mice, respectively. We then systematically characterized the dynamic functional landscapes of these REs by integrating multi-omics datasets, including gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and DNA methylation. We identified a core set (n = 6359) of ruminant-specific REs that are involved in liver development, metabolism, and immune processes. Genes with more complex cis-REs exhibited higher gene expression levels and stronger conservation across species. Furthermore, we integrated expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and GWAS from 44 and 52 complex traits/diseases in cattle and humans, respectively. These results demonstrated that REs with different degrees of evolutionary conservation across species exhibited distinct enrichments for GWAS signals of complex traits. CONCLUSIONS We systematically annotated genome-wide functional REs in liver across six mammals and demonstrated the evolution of REs and their associations with transcriptional output and conservation. Detecting lineage-specific REs allows us to decipher the evolutionary and genetic basis of complex phenotypes in livestock and humans, which may benefit the discovery of potential biomedical models for functional variants and genes of specific human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqian Chen
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuli Liu
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China ,grid.494629.40000 0004 8008 9315 School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shaolei Shi
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yifan Jiang
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Mingyue Cao
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongjie Tang
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics (QGG), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ying Yu
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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12
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Dodlapati S, Jiang Z, Sun J. Completing Single-Cell DNA Methylome Profiles via Transfer Learning Together With KL-Divergence. Front Genet 2022; 13:910439. [PMID: 35938031 PMCID: PMC9353187 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.910439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The high level of sparsity in methylome profiles obtained using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing in the case of low biological material amount limits its value in the study of systems in which large samples are difficult to assemble, such as mammalian preimplantation embryonic development. The recently developed computational methods for addressing the sparsity by imputing missing have their limits when the required minimum data coverage or profiles of the same tissue in other modalities are not available. In this study, we explored the use of transfer learning together with Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence to train predictive models for completing methylome profiles with very low coverage (below 2%). Transfer learning was used to leverage less sparse profiles that are typically available for different tissues for the same species, while KL divergence was employed to maximize the usage of information carried in the input data. A deep neural network was adopted to extract both DNA sequence and local methylation patterns for imputation. Our study of training models for completing methylome profiles of bovine oocytes and early embryos demonstrates the effectiveness of transfer learning and KL divergence, with individual increase of 29.98 and 29.43%, respectively, in prediction performance and 38.70% increase when the two were used together. The drastically increased data coverage (43.80-73.6%) after imputation powers downstream analyses involving methylomes that cannot be effectively done using the very low coverage profiles (0.06-1.47%) before imputation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeeva Dodlapati
- Department of Computer Science, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
| | - Zongliang Jiang
- School of Animal Sciences, AgCenter, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Jiangwen Sun
- Department of Computer Science, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States
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13
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Deng S, Feng Y, Pauklin S. 3D chromatin architecture and transcription regulation in cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2022; 15:49. [PMID: 35509102 PMCID: PMC9069733 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-022-01271-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatin has distinct three-dimensional (3D) architectures important in key biological processes, such as cell cycle, replication, differentiation, and transcription regulation. In turn, aberrant 3D structures play a vital role in developing abnormalities and diseases such as cancer. This review discusses key 3D chromatin structures (topologically associating domain, lamina-associated domain, and enhancer-promoter interactions) and corresponding structural protein elements mediating 3D chromatin interactions [CCCTC-binding factor, polycomb group protein, cohesin, and Brother of the Regulator of Imprinted Sites (BORIS) protein] with a highlight of their associations with cancer. We also summarise the recent development of technologies and bioinformatics approaches to study the 3D chromatin interactions in gene expression regulation, including crosslinking and proximity ligation methods in the bulk cell population (ChIA-PET and HiChIP) or single-molecule resolution (ChIA-drop), and methods other than proximity ligation, such as GAM, SPRITE, and super-resolution microscopy techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwei Deng
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Old Road, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Yuliang Feng
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Old Road, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Siim Pauklin
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Old Road, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK.
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14
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Braz CU, Taylor T, Namous H, Townsend J, Crenshaw T, Khatib H. Paternal diet induces transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of DNA methylation signatures and phenotypes in sheep model. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac040. [PMID: 36713326 PMCID: PMC9802161 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) requires transmission of environmentally induced epigenetic changes and associated phenotypes to subsequent generations without continued exposure to the environmental factor that originated the change. TEI is well-established in plants and Caenorhabditis elegans; however, occurrence in mammals is debated and poorly understood. Here, we examined whether paternal diet from weaning to puberty-induced changes in sperm DNA methylation that were transmitted to subsequent generations. Over 100 methylated cytosines, environmentally altered in the F0 generation, were inherited by the F1 and F2 generations. Furthermore, the F0 paternal diet was associated with growth and male fertility phenotypes in subsequent generations. Differentially methylated cytosines were correlated with gene expression. Our results demonstrate that some sperm methylation sites may escape DNA methylation erasure and are transmitted to subsequent generations despite the 2 waves of epigenetic programming: in primordial germ cells and in embryos after fertilization. These results advance our understanding of the complex relationships between nature and nurture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila U Braz
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Todd Taylor
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Hadjer Namous
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jessica Townsend
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Thomas Crenshaw
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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15
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Costes V, Chaulot-Talmon A, Sellem E, Perrier JP, Aubert-Frambourg A, Jouneau L, Pontlevoy C, Hozé C, Fritz S, Boussaha M, Le Danvic C, Sanchez MP, Boichard D, Schibler L, Jammes H, Jaffrézic F, Kiefer H. Predicting male fertility from the sperm methylome: application to 120 bulls with hundreds of artificial insemination records. Clin Epigenetics 2022; 14:54. [PMID: 35477426 PMCID: PMC9047354 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-022-01275-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conflicting results regarding alterations to sperm DNA methylation in cases of spermatogenesis defects, male infertility and poor developmental outcomes have been reported in humans. Bulls used for artificial insemination represent a relevant model in this field, as the broad dissemination of bull semen considerably alleviates confounding factors and enables the precise assessment of male fertility. This study was therefore designed to assess the potential for sperm DNA methylation to predict bull fertility. RESULTS A unique collection of 100 sperm samples was constituted by pooling 2-5 ejaculates per bull from 100 Montbéliarde bulls of comparable ages, assessed as fertile (n = 57) or subfertile (n = 43) based on non-return rates 56 days after insemination. The DNA methylation profiles of these samples were obtained using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. After excluding putative sequence polymorphisms, 490 fertility-related differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) were identified, most of which were hypermethylated in subfertile bulls. Interestingly, 46 genes targeted by DMCs are involved in embryonic and fetal development, sperm function and maturation, or have been related to fertility in genome-wide association studies; five of these were further analyzed by pyrosequencing. In order to evaluate the prognostic value of fertility-related DMCs, the sperm samples were split between training (n = 67) and testing (n = 33) sets. Using a Random Forest approach, a predictive model was built from the methylation values obtained on the training set. The predictive accuracy of this model was 72% on the testing set and 72% on individual ejaculates collected from an independent cohort of 20 bulls. CONCLUSION This study, conducted on the largest set of bull sperm samples so far examined in epigenetic analyses, demonstrated that the sperm methylome is a valuable source of male fertility biomarkers. The next challenge is to combine these results with other data on the same sperm samples in order to improve the quality of the model and better understand the interplay between DNA methylation and other molecular features in the regulation of fertility. This research may have potential applications in human medicine, where infertility affects the interaction between a male and a female, thus making it difficult to isolate the male factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Costes
- INRAE, BREED, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.,R&D Department, ALLICE, 149 rue de Bercy, 75012, Paris, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Aurélie Chaulot-Talmon
- INRAE, BREED, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Eli Sellem
- INRAE, BREED, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.,R&D Department, ALLICE, 149 rue de Bercy, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Perrier
- INRAE, BREED, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Anne Aubert-Frambourg
- INRAE, BREED, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Luc Jouneau
- INRAE, BREED, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Charline Pontlevoy
- INRAE, BREED, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Chris Hozé
- R&D Department, ALLICE, 149 rue de Bercy, 75012, Paris, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sébastien Fritz
- R&D Department, ALLICE, 149 rue de Bercy, 75012, Paris, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Mekki Boussaha
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Marie-Pierre Sanchez
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Didier Boichard
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Hélène Jammes
- INRAE, BREED, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Florence Jaffrézic
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Hélène Kiefer
- INRAE, BREED, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France. .,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.
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16
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Al Adhami H, Bardet AF, Dumas M, Cleroux E, Guibert S, Fauque P, Acloque H, Weber M. A comparative methylome analysis reveals conservation and divergence of DNA methylation patterns and functions in vertebrates. BMC Biol 2022; 20:70. [PMID: 35317801 PMCID: PMC8941758 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01270-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cytosine DNA methylation is a heritable epigenetic mark present in most eukaryotic groups. While the patterns and functions of DNA methylation have been extensively studied in mouse and human, their conservation in other vertebrates remains poorly explored. In this study, we interrogated the distribution and function of DNA methylation in primary fibroblasts of seven vertebrate species including bio-medical models and livestock species (human, mouse, rabbit, dog, cow, pig, and chicken). Results Our data highlight both divergence and conservation of DNA methylation patterns and functions. We show that the chicken genome is hypomethylated compared to other vertebrates. Furthermore, compared to mouse, other species show a higher frequency of methylation of CpG-rich DNA. We reveal the conservation of large unmethylated valleys and patterns of DNA methylation associated with X-chromosome inactivation through vertebrate evolution and make predictions of conserved sets of imprinted genes across mammals. Finally, using chemical inhibition of DNA methylation, we show that the silencing of germline genes and endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are conserved functions of DNA methylation in vertebrates. Conclusions Our data highlight conserved properties of DNA methylation in vertebrate genomes but at the same time point to differences between mouse and other vertebrate species. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01270-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hala Al Adhami
- University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS UMR7242, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, 300 Bd Sébastien Brant, 67412, Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Anaïs Flore Bardet
- University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS UMR7242, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, 300 Bd Sébastien Brant, 67412, Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Michael Dumas
- University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS UMR7242, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, 300 Bd Sébastien Brant, 67412, Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Elouan Cleroux
- University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS UMR7242, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, 300 Bd Sébastien Brant, 67412, Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Sylvain Guibert
- University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,CNRS UMR7242, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, 300 Bd Sébastien Brant, 67412, Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Patricia Fauque
- Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Equipe Génétique des Anomalies du Développement (GAD) INSERM UMR1231, 2 Rue Angélique Ducoudray, 21000, Dijon, France.,CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction - CECOS, 14 rue Gaffarel, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Hervé Acloque
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Michael Weber
- University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France. .,CNRS UMR7242, Biotechnology and Cell Signaling, 300 Bd Sébastien Brant, 67412, Illkirch Cedex, France.
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17
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Nagai R, Kinukawa M, Watanabe T, Ogino A, Kurogi K, Adachi K, Satoh M, Uemoto Y. Genome-wide detection of non-additive quantitative trait loci for semen production traits in beef and dairy bulls. Animal 2022; 16:100472. [PMID: 35218992 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2022.100472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Semen production traits are important aspects of bull fertility, because semen quantity leads to direct profits for artificial insemination centres, and semen quality is associated with the probability of achieving a pregnancy. Most genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for semen production traits have assumed that each quantitative trait locus (QTL) has an additive effect. However, GWASs that account for non-additive effects are also important in fitness traits, such as bull fertility. Here, we performed a GWAS using models that accounted for additive and non-additive effects to evaluate the importance of non-additive effects on five semen production traits in beef and dairy bulls. A total of 65 463 records for 615 Japanese Black bulls (JB) and 50 734 records for 873 Holstein bulls (HOL), which were previously genotyped using the Illumina BovineSNP50 BeadChip, were used to estimate genetic parameters and perform GWAS. The heritability estimates were low (ranged from 0.11 to 0.23), and the repeatability estimates were low to moderate (ranged from 0.28 to 0.45) in both breeds. The estimated repeatability was approximately twice as high as the estimated heritability for all traits. In this study, only one significant region with an additive effect was detected in each breed, but multiple significant regions with non-additive effects were detected for each breed. In particular, the region at approximately 64 Mbp on Bos taurus autosome 17 had the highest significant non-additive effect on four semen production traits in HOL. The rs41843851 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the region had a much lower P-value for the non-additive effect (P-value = 1.1 × 10-31) than for the additive effect (P-value = 1.1 × 10-8) in sperm motility. The AA and AB genotypes on the SNP had a higher phenotype than the BB genotype in HOL, and there was no bull with the BB genotype in JB. Our results showed that non-additive QTLs affect semen production traits, and a novel QTL accounting for non-additive effects could be detected by GWAS. This study provides new insights into non-additive QTLs that affect fitness traits, such as semen production traits in beef and dairy bulls.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Nagai
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8572, Japan
| | - M Kinukawa
- Maebashi Institute of Animal Science, Livestock Improvement Association of Japan, Inc., Maebashi 371-0121, Japan
| | - T Watanabe
- Maebashi Institute of Animal Science, Livestock Improvement Association of Japan, Inc., Maebashi 371-0121, Japan
| | - A Ogino
- Maebashi Institute of Animal Science, Livestock Improvement Association of Japan, Inc., Maebashi 371-0121, Japan
| | - K Kurogi
- Cattle Breeding Department, Livestock Improvement Association of Japan, Inc., Tokyo 135-0041, Japan
| | - K Adachi
- Cattle Breeding Department, Livestock Improvement Association of Japan, Inc., Tokyo 135-0041, Japan
| | - M Satoh
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8572, Japan
| | - Y Uemoto
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8572, Japan.
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18
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Kiefer H, Sellem E, Bonnet-Garnier A, Pannetier M, Costes V, Schibler L, Jammes H. The epigenome of male germ cells and the programming of phenotypes in cattle. Anim Front 2021; 11:28-38. [PMID: 34934527 PMCID: PMC8683155 DOI: 10.1093/af/vfab062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Kiefer
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Eli Sellem
- R&D Department, ALLICE, 149 rue de Bercy, 75012, Paris, France
| | - Amélie Bonnet-Garnier
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Maëlle Pannetier
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Valentin Costes
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.,R&D Department, ALLICE, 149 rue de Bercy, 75012, Paris, France
| | | | - Hélène Jammes
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France.,Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, BREED, 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
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19
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Ibeagha-Awemu EM, Bissonnette N, Bhattarai S, Wang M, Dudemaine PL, McKay S, Zhao X. Whole Genome Methylation Analysis Reveals Role of DNA Methylation in Cow's Ileal and Ileal Lymph Node Responses to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Infection. Front Genet 2021; 12:797490. [PMID: 34992636 PMCID: PMC8724574 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.797490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Johne's Disease (JD), caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP), is an incurable disease of ruminants and other animal species and is characterized by an imbalance of gut immunity. The role of MAP infection on the epigenetic modeling of gut immunity during the progression of JD is still unknown. This study investigated the DNA methylation patterns in ileal (IL) and ileal lymph node (ILLN) tissues from cows diagnosed with persistent subclinical MAP infection over a one to 4 years period. DNA samples from IL and ILLN tissues from cows negative (MAPneg) (n = 3) or positive for MAP infection (MAPinf) (n = 4) were subjected to whole genome bisulfite sequencing. A total of 11,263 and 62,459 differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs), and 1259 and 8086 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) (FDR<0.1) were found between MAPinf and MAPneg IL and ILLN tissues, respectively. The DMRs were found on 394 genes (denoted DMR genes) in the IL and on 1305 genes in the ILLN. DMR genes with hypermethylated promoters/5'UTR [3 (IL) and 88 (ILLN)] or hypomethylated promoters/5'UTR [10 (IL) and 25 (ILLN)] and having multiple functions including response to stimulus/immune response (BLK, BTC, CCL21, AVPR1A, CHRNG, GABRA4, TDGF1), cellular processes (H2AC20, TEX101, GLA, NCKAP5L, RBM27, SLC18A1, H2AC20BARHL2, NLGN3, SUV39H1, GABRA4, PPA1, UBE2D2) and metabolic processes (GSTO2, H2AC20, SUV39H1, PPA1, UBE2D2) are potential DNA methylation candidate genes of MAP infection. The ILLN DMR genes were enriched for more biological process (BP) gene ontology (GO) terms (n = 374), most of which were related to cellular processes (27.6%), biological regulation (16.6%), metabolic processes (15.4%) and response to stimulus/immune response (8.2%) compared to 75 BP GO terms (related to cellular processes, metabolic processes and transport, and system development) enriched for IL DMR genes. ILLN DMR genes were enriched for more pathways (n = 47) including 13 disease pathways compared with 36 enriched pathways, including 7 disease/immune pathways for IL DMR genes. In conclusion, the results show tissue specific responses to MAP infection with more epigenetic changes (DMCs and DMRs) in the ILLN than in the IL tissue, suggesting that the ILLN and immune processes were more responsive to regulation by methylation of DNA relative to IL tissue. Our data is the first to demonstrate a potential role for DNA methylation in the pathogenesis of MAP infection in dairy cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eveline M. Ibeagha-Awemu
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Nathalie Bissonnette
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Suraj Bhattarai
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Mengqi Wang
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Pier-Luc Dudemaine
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Stephanie McKay
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Xin Zhao
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Ste-Anne-Be-Bellevue, QC, Canada
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20
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Mi S, Chen S, Li W, Fang L, Yu Y. Effects of sperm DNA methylation on domesticated animal performance and perspectives on cross-species epigenetics in animal breeding. Anim Front 2021; 11:39-47. [PMID: 34934528 PMCID: PMC8683132 DOI: 10.1093/af/vfab053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Mi
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Siqian Chen
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Ying Yu
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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21
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Özbek M, Hitit M, Kaya A, Jousan FD, Memili E. Sperm Functional Genome Associated With Bull Fertility. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:610888. [PMID: 34250055 PMCID: PMC8262648 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.610888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bull fertility is an important economic trait in sustainable cattle production, as infertile or subfertile bulls give rise to large economic losses. Current methods to assess bull fertility are tedious and not totally accurate. The massive collection of functional data analyses, including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics, helps researchers generate extensive knowledge to better understand the unraveling physiological mechanisms underlying subpar male fertility. This review focuses on the sperm phenomes of the functional genome and epigenome that are associated with bull fertility. Findings from multiple sources were integrated to generate new knowledge that is transferable to applied andrology. Diverse methods encompassing analyses of molecular and cellular dynamics in the fertility-associated molecules and conventional sperm parameters can be considered an effective approach to determine bull fertility for efficient and sustainable cattle production. In addition to gene expression information, we also provide methodological information, which is important for the rigor and reliability of the studies. Fertility is a complex trait influenced by several factors and has low heritability, although heritability of scrotal circumference is high and that it is a known fertility maker. There is a need for new knowledge on the expression levels and functions of sperm RNA, proteins, and metabolites. The new knowledge can shed light on additional fertility markers that can be used in combination with scrotal circumference to predict the fertility of breeding bulls. This review provides a comprehensive review of sperm functional characteristics or phenotypes associated with bull fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Memmet Özbek
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Hitit
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Turkey
| | - Abdullah Kaya
- Department of Artificial Insemination and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Frank Dean Jousan
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Erdogan Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
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22
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Yang Y, Fan X, Yan J, Chen M, Zhu M, Tang Y, Liu S, Tang Z. A comprehensive epigenome atlas reveals DNA methylation regulating skeletal muscle development. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:1313-1329. [PMID: 33434283 PMCID: PMC7897484 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is important for the epigenetic regulation of gene expression and plays a critical role in mammalian development. However, the dynamic regulation of genome-wide DNA methylation in skeletal muscle development remains largely unknown. Here, we generated the first single-base resolution DNA methylome and transcriptome maps of porcine skeletal muscle across 27 developmental stages. The overall methylation level decreased from the embryo to the adult, which was highly correlated with the downregulated expression of DNMT1 and an increase in partially methylated domains. Notably, we identified over 40 000 developmentally differentially methylated CpGs (dDMCs) that reconstitute the developmental trajectory of skeletal muscle and associate with muscle developmental genes and transcription factors (TFs). The dDMCs were significantly under-represented in promoter regulatory regions but strongly enriched as enhancer histone markers and in chromatin-accessible regions. Integrative analysis revealed the negative regulation of both promoter and gene body methylation in genes associated with muscle contraction and insulin signaling during skeletal muscle development. Mechanistically, DNA methylation affected the expression of muscle-related genes by modulating the accessibly of upstream myogenesis TF binding, indicating the involvement of the DNA methylation/SP1/IGF2BP3 axis in skeletal myogenesis. Our results highlight the function and regulation of dynamic DNA methylation in skeletal muscle development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalan Yang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Research Centre of Animal Nutritional Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Xinhao Fan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Research Centre of Animal Nutritional Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Junyu Yan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Muya Chen
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Research Centre of Animal Nutritional Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Min Zhu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Research Centre of Animal Nutritional Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Yijie Tang
- Research Centre of Animal Nutritional Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Research Centre of Animal Nutritional Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Zhonglin Tang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Research Centre of Animal Nutritional Genomics, State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518124, China.,Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.,GuangXi Engineering Centre for Resource Development of Bama Xiang Pig, Bama 547500, China
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23
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Wang M, Ibeagha-Awemu EM. Impacts of Epigenetic Processes on the Health and Productivity of Livestock. Front Genet 2021; 11:613636. [PMID: 33708235 PMCID: PMC7942785 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.613636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamic changes in the epigenome resulting from the intricate interactions of genetic and environmental factors play crucial roles in individual growth and development. Numerous studies in plants, rodents, and humans have provided evidence of the regulatory roles of epigenetic processes in health and disease. There is increasing pressure to increase livestock production in light of increasing food needs of an expanding human population and environment challenges, but there is limited related epigenetic data on livestock to complement genomic information and support advances in improvement breeding and health management. This review examines the recent discoveries on epigenetic processes due to DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling and their impacts on health and production traits in farm animals, including bovine, swine, sheep, goat, and poultry species. Most of the reports focused on epigenome profiling at the genome-wide or specific genic regions in response to developmental processes, environmental stressors, nutrition, and disease pathogens. The bulk of available data mainly characterized the epigenetic markers in tissues/organs or in relation to traits and detection of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms underlying livestock phenotype diversity. However, available data is inadequate to support gainful exploitation of epigenetic processes for improved animal health and productivity management. Increased research effort, which is vital to elucidate how epigenetic mechanisms affect the health and productivity of livestock, is currently limited due to several factors including lack of adequate analytical tools. In this review, we (1) summarize available evidence of the impacts of epigenetic processes on livestock production and health traits, (2) discuss the application of epigenetics data in livestock production, and (3) present gaps in livestock epigenetics research. Knowledge of the epigenetic factors influencing livestock health and productivity is vital for the management and improvement of livestock productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Wang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Department of Animal Science, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Eveline M. Ibeagha-Awemu
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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24
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DNA methylation studies in cattle. J Appl Genet 2021; 62:121-136. [PMID: 33400132 DOI: 10.1007/s13353-020-00604-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Investigation of the role of epigenetics in cattle breeding is gaining importance. DNA methylation represents an epigenetic modification which is essential for genomic stability and maintenance of development. Recently, DNA methylation research in cattle has intensified. The studies focus on the definition of methylomes in various organs and tissues in relation to the expression of genes underlying economically important traits, and explore methylome changes under developmental, environmental, disease, and diet influences. The investigations further characterize the methylation patterns of gametes in connection with their quality, and study methylome alterations in the developing naturally or assisted produced zygotes, embryos, and fetuses, considering their viability. A wide array of technologies developed for accurate and precise analysis of DNA methylation patterns is employed for both single-gene and genome-wide studies. Overall, the research is directed towards the identification of single methylation markers or their combinations which may be useful in the selection and breeding of animals to ensure cattle improvement.
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25
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Zhu L, Marjani SL, Jiang Z. The Epigenetics of Gametes and Early Embryos and Potential Long-Range Consequences in Livestock Species-Filling in the Picture With Epigenomic Analyses. Front Genet 2021; 12:557934. [PMID: 33747031 PMCID: PMC7966815 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.557934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The epigenome is dynamic and forged by epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNA species. Increasing lines of evidence support the concept that certain acquired traits are derived from environmental exposure during early embryonic and fetal development, i.e., fetal programming, and can even be "memorized" in the germline as epigenetic information and transmitted to future generations. Advances in technology are now driving the global profiling and precise editing of germline and embryonic epigenomes, thereby improving our understanding of epigenetic regulation and inheritance. These achievements open new avenues for the development of technologies or potential management interventions to counteract adverse conditions or improve performance in livestock species. In this article, we review the epigenetic analyses (DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs) of germ cells and embryos in mammalian livestock species (cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs) and the epigenetic determinants of gamete and embryo viability. We also discuss the effects of parental environmental exposures on the epigenetics of gametes and the early embryo, and evidence for transgenerational inheritance in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linkai Zhu
- AgCenter, School of Animal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Sadie L Marjani
- Department of Biology, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT, United States
| | - Zongliang Jiang
- AgCenter, School of Animal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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26
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Wang X, Hao D, Kadarmideen HN. GeneDMRs: An R Package for Gene-Based Differentially Methylated Regions Analysis. J Comput Biol 2020; 28:304-316. [PMID: 33185472 PMCID: PMC7994424 DOI: 10.1089/cmb.2020.0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation in gene or gene body could influence gene transcription. Moreover, methylation in gene regions along with CpG island regions could modulate the transcription to undetectable gene expression levels. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the methylation levels within the gene, gene body, CpG island regions, and their overlapped regions and then identify the gene-based differentially methylated regions (GeneDMRs). In this study, R package GeneDMRs aims to facilitate computing gene-based methylation rate using next-generation sequencing-based methylome data. The user-friendly GeneDMRs package is presented to analyze the methylation levels in each gene/promoter/exon/intron/CpG island/CpG island shore or each overlapped region (e.g., gene-CpG island/promoter-CpG island/exon-CpG island/intron-CpG island/gene-CpG island shore/promoter-CpG island shore/exon-CpG island shore/intron-CpG island shore). GeneDMRs can also interpret complex interplays between methylation levels and gene expression differences or similarities across physiological conditions or disease states. We used the public reduced representation bisulfite sequencing data of mouse (GSE62392) for evaluating software and revealing novel biologically significant results to supplement the previous research. In addition, the whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data of cattle (GSE106538) given the much larger size was used for further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Quantitative Genomics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Group, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Dan Hao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China.,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Haja N Kadarmideen
- Quantitative Genomics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Group, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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27
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Pértille F, Ibelli AMG, Sharif ME, Poleti MD, Fröhlich AS, Rezaei S, Ledur MC, Jensen P, Guerrero-Bosagna C, Coutinho LL. Putative Epigenetic Biomarkers of Stress in Red Blood Cells of Chickens Reared Across Different Biomes. Front Genet 2020; 11:508809. [PMID: 33240310 PMCID: PMC7667380 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.508809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Production animals are constantly subjected to early adverse environmental conditions that influence the adult phenotype and produce epigenetic effects. CpG dinucleotide methylation in red blood cells (RBC) could be a useful epigenetic biomarker to identify animals subjected to chronic stress in the production environment. Here we compared a reduced fraction of the RBC methylome of chickens exposed to social isolation to non-exposed. These experiments were performed in two different locations: Brazil and Sweden. The aim was to identify stress-associated DNA methylation profiles in RBC across these populations, in spite of the variable conditions to which birds are exposed in each facility and their different lineages. Birds were increasingly exposed to a social isolation treatment, combined with food and water deprivation, at random periods of the day from weeks 1-4 after hatching. We then collected the RBC DNA from individuals and compared a reduced fraction of their methylome between the experimental groups using two bioinformatic approaches to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs): one using fixed-size windows and another that preselected differential peaks with MACS2. Three levels of significance were used (P ≤ 0.05, P ≤ 0.005, and P ≤ 0.0005) to identify DMRs between experimental groups, which were then used for different analyses. With both of the approaches more DMRs reached the defined significance thresholds in BR individuals compared to SW. However, more DMRs had higher fold change values in SW compared to BR individuals. Interestingly, ChrZ was enriched above expectancy for the presence of DMRs. Additionally, when analyzing the locations of these DMRs in relation to the transcription starting site (TSS), we found three peaks with high DMR presence: 10 kb upstream, the TSS itself, and 20-40 kb downstream. Interestingly, these peaks had DMRs with a high presence (>50%) of specific transcription factor binding sites. Three overlapping DMRs were found between the BR and SW population using the most relaxed p-value (P ≤ 0.05). With the most stringent p-value (P ≤ 0.0005), we found 7 and 4 DMRs between treatments in the BR and SW populations, respectively. This study is the first approximation to identify epigenetic biomarkers of long-term exposure to stress in different lineages of production animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio Pértille
- Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, Animal Science and Pastures Department, University of São Paulo (USP)/"Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture (ESALQ), Piracicaba, Brazil.,Avian Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Maj El Sharif
- Avian Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mirele Daiana Poleti
- Animal Science Program, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering (FZEA), University of São Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, Brazil
| | - Anna Sophie Fröhlich
- Avian Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Shiva Rezaei
- Avian Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Per Jensen
- Avian Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Carlos Guerrero-Bosagna
- Avian Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Evolutionary Biology Centre, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Luiz Lehmann Coutinho
- Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, Animal Science and Pastures Department, University of São Paulo (USP)/"Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture (ESALQ), Piracicaba, Brazil
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Xin J, Chai Z, Zhang C, Zhang Q, Zhu Y, Cao H, Yangji C, Chen X, Jiang H, Zhong J, Ji Q. Methylome and transcriptome profiles in three yak tissues revealed that DNA methylation and the transcription factor ZGPAT co-regulate milk production. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:731. [PMID: 33081725 PMCID: PMC7576800 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07151-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Domestic yaks play an indispensable role in sustaining the livelihood of Tibetans and other ethnic groups on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), by providing milk and meat. They have evolved numerous physiological adaptations to high-altitude environment, including strong blood oxygen transportation capabilities and high metabolism. The roles of DNA methylation and gene expression in milk production and high-altitudes adaptation need further exploration. Results We performed genome-wide DNA methylome and transcriptome analyses of breast, lung, and biceps brachii muscle tissues from yaks of different ages. We identified 432,350 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) across the age groups within each tissue. The post-mature breast tissue had considerably more differentially methylated regions (155,957) than that from the three younger age groups. Hypomethylated genes with high expression levels might regulate milk production by influencing protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum. According to weighted gene correlation network analysis, the “hub” gene ZGPAT was highly expressed in the post-mature breast tissue, indicating that it potentially regulates the transcription of 280 genes that influence protein synthesis, processing, and secretion. The tissue network analysis indicated that high expression of HIF1A regulates energy metabolism in the lung. Conclusions This study provides a basis for understanding the epigenetic mechanisms underlying milk production in yaks, and the results offer insight to breeding programs aimed at improving milk production. Supplementary information Supplementary information accompanies this paper at 10.1186/s12864-020-07151-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwei Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Hulless Barley and Yak Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Lhasa, Tibet, China.,Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Zhixin Chai
- Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Animal Genetic Resource Reservation and Utilization, Sichuan Province and Ministry of Education, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Chengfu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Hulless Barley and Yak Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Lhasa, Tibet, China.,Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Hulless Barley and Yak Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Lhasa, Tibet, China.,Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Yong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Hulless Barley and Yak Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Lhasa, Tibet, China.,Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Hanwen Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Hulless Barley and Yak Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Lhasa, Tibet, China.,Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Cidan Yangji
- State Key Laboratory of Hulless Barley and Yak Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Lhasa, Tibet, China.,Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Xiaoying Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Hulless Barley and Yak Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Lhasa, Tibet, China.,Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Hulless Barley and Yak Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Lhasa, Tibet, China.,Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, China
| | - Jincheng Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Animal Genetic Resource Reservation and Utilization, Sichuan Province and Ministry of Education, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Qiumei Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Hulless Barley and Yak Germplasm Resources and Genetic Improvement, Lhasa, Tibet, China. .,Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa, Tibet, China.
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29
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Hu Y, Xia H, Li M, Xu C, Ye X, Su R, Zhang M, Nash O, Sonstegard TS, Yang L, Liu GE, Zhou Y. Comparative analyses of copy number variations between Bos taurus and Bos indicus. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:682. [PMID: 33004001 PMCID: PMC7528262 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07097-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bos taurus and Bos indicus are two main sub-species of cattle. However, the differential copy number variations (CNVs) between them are not yet well studied. Results Based on the new high-quality cattle reference genome ARS-UCD1.2, we identified 13,234 non-redundant CNV regions (CNVRs) from 73 animals of 10 cattle breeds (4 Bos taurus and 6 Bos indicus), by integrating three detection strategies. While 6990 CNVRs (52.82%) were shared by Bos taurus and Bos indicus, large CNV differences were discovered between them and these differences could be used to successfully separate animals into two subspecies. We found that 2212 and 538 genes uniquely overlapped with either indicine-specific CNVRs and or taurine-specific CNVRs, respectively. Based on FST, we detected 16 candidate lineage-differential CNV segments (top 0.1%) under selection, which overlapped with eight genes (CTNNA1, ENSBTAG00000004415, PKN2, BMPER, PDE1C, DNAJC18, MUSK, and PLCXD3). Moreover, we obtained 1.74 Mbp indicine-specific sequences, which could only be mapped on the Bos indicus reference genome UOA_Brahman_1. We found these sequences and their associated genes were related to heat resistance, lipid and ATP metabolic process, and muscle development under selection. We further analyzed and validated the top significant lineage-differential CNV. This CNV overlapped genes related to muscle cell differentiation, which might be generated from a retropseudogene of CTH but was deleted along Bos indicus lineage. Conclusions This study presents a genome wide CNV comparison between Bos taurus and Bos indicus. It supplied essential genome diversity information for understanding of adaptation and phenotype differences between the Bos taurus and Bos indicus populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Han Xia
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Mingxun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Building 306, Room 111, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.,College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Chang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xiaowei Ye
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ruixue Su
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Mai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Oyekanmi Nash
- Centre for Genomics Research and Innovation, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Abuja, Nigeria
| | | | - Liguo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Building 306, Room 111, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
| | - Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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30
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Khezri A, Narud B, Stenseth EB, Zeremichael TT, Myromslien FD, Wilson RC, Ahmad R, Kommisrud E. Sperm DNA Hypomethylation Proximal to Reproduction Pathway Genes in Maturing Elite Norwegian Red Bulls. Front Genet 2020; 11:922. [PMID: 32849856 PMCID: PMC7431628 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic selection in modern farming demands sufficient semen production in young bulls. Factors affecting semen quality and production capacity in young bulls are not well understood; DNA methylation, a complicated phenomenon in sperm cells, is one such factors. In this study, fresh and frozen-thawed semen samples from the same Norwegian Red (NR) bulls at both 14 and 17 months of age were examined for sperm chromatin integrity parameters, ATP content, viability, and motility. Furthermore, reduced representation bisulfite libraries constructed according to two protocols, the Ovation® RRBS Methyl-Seq System (Ovation method) and a previously optimized gel-free method and were sequenced to study the sperm DNA methylome in frozen-thawed semen samples. Sperm quality analyses indicated that sperm concentration, total motility and progressivity in fresh semen from 17 months old NR bulls were significantly higher compared to individuals at 14 months of age. The percentage of DNA fragmented sperm cells significantly decreased in both fresh and frozen-thawed semen samples in bulls with increasing age. Libraries from the Ovation method exhibited a greater percentage of read loss and shorter read size following trimming. Downstream analyses for reads obtained from the gel-free method revealed similar global sperm DNA methylation but differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between 14- and 17 months old NR bulls. The majority of identified DMRs were hypomethylated in 14 months old bulls. Most of the identified DMRs (69%) exhibited a less than 10% methylation difference while only 1.5% of DMRs exceeded a 25% methylation difference. Pathway analysis showed that genes annotated with DMRs having low methylation differences (less than 10%) and DMRs having between 10 and 25% methylation differences, could be associated with important hormonal signaling and sperm function relevant pathways, respectively. The current research shows that RRBS in parallel with routine sperm quality analyses could be informative in reproductive capacity of young NR bulls. Although global sperm DNA methylation levels in 14 and 17 months old NR bulls were similar, regions with low and varying levels of DNA methylation differences can be identified and linked with important sperm function and hormonal pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdolrahman Khezri
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
| | - Birgitte Narud
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
| | - Else-Berit Stenseth
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
| | | | | | - Robert C Wilson
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
| | - Rafi Ahmad
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
| | - Elisabeth Kommisrud
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
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31
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Zhou Y, Liu S, Hu Y, Fang L, Gao Y, Xia H, Schroeder SG, Rosen BD, Connor EE, Li CJ, Baldwin RL, Cole JB, Van Tassell CP, Yang L, Ma L, Liu GE. Comparative whole genome DNA methylation profiling across cattle tissues reveals global and tissue-specific methylation patterns. BMC Biol 2020; 18:85. [PMID: 32631327 PMCID: PMC7339546 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00793-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efforts to improve animal health, and understand genetic bases for production, may benefit from a comprehensive analysis of animal genomes and epigenomes. Although DNA methylation has been well studied in humans and other model species, its distribution patterns and regulatory impacts in cattle are still largely unknown. Here, we present the largest collection of cattle DNA methylation epigenomic data to date. RESULTS Using Holstein cattle, we generated 29 whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) datasets for 16 tissues, 47 corresponding RNA-seq datasets, and 2 whole genome sequencing datasets. We did read mapping and DNA methylation calling based on two different cattle assemblies, demonstrating the high quality of the long-read-based assembly markedly improved DNA methylation results. We observed large differences across cattle tissues in the methylation patterns of global CpG sites, partially methylated domains (PMDs), hypomethylated regions (HMRs), CG islands (CGIs), and common repeats. We detected that each tissue had a distinct set of PMDs, which showed tissue-specific patterns. Similar to human PMD, cattle PMDs were often linked to a general decrease of gene expression and a decrease in active histone marks and related to long-range chromatin organizations, like topologically associated domains (TADs). We tested a classification of the HMRs based on their distributions relative to transcription start sites (TSSs) and detected tissue-specific TSS-HMRs and genes that showed strong tissue effects. When performing cross-species comparisons of paired genes (two opposite strand genes with their TSS located in the same HMR), we found out they were more consistently co-expressed among human, mouse, sheep, goat, yak, pig, and chicken, but showed lower consistent ratios in more divergent species. We further used these WGBS data to detect 50,023 experimentally supported CGIs across bovine tissues and found that they might function as a guard against C-to-T mutations for TSS-HMRs. Although common repeats were often heavily methylated, some young Bov-A2 repeats were hypomethylated in sperm and could affect the promoter structures by exposing potential transcription factor binding sites. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a comprehensive resource for bovine epigenomic research and enables new discoveries about DNA methylation and its role in complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Shuli Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Yan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Yahui Gao
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Han Xia
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Steven G. Schroeder
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Benjamin D. Rosen
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Erin E. Connor
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 USA
| | - Cong-jun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Ransom L. Baldwin
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - John B. Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Curtis P. Van Tassell
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Liguo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 China
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - George E. Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
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32
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Liu S, Yu Y, Zhang S, Cole JB, Tenesa A, Wang T, McDaneld TG, Ma L, Liu GE, Fang L. Epigenomics and genotype-phenotype association analyses reveal conserved genetic architecture of complex traits in cattle and human. BMC Biol 2020; 18:80. [PMID: 32620158 PMCID: PMC7334855 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00792-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Lack of comprehensive functional annotations across a wide range of tissues and cell types severely hinders the biological interpretations of phenotypic variation, adaptive evolution, and domestication in livestock. Here we used a combination of comparative epigenomics, genome-wide association study (GWAS), and selection signature analysis, to shed light on potential adaptive evolution in cattle. Results We cross-mapped 8 histone marks of 1300 samples from human to cattle, covering 178 unique tissues/cell types. By uniformly analyzing 723 RNA-seq and 40 whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) datasets in cattle, we validated that cross-mapped histone marks captured tissue-specific expression and methylation, reflecting tissue-relevant biology. Through integrating cross-mapped tissue-specific histone marks with large-scale GWAS and selection signature results, we for the first time detected relevant tissues and cell types for 45 economically important traits and artificial selection in cattle. For instance, immune tissues are significantly associated with health and reproduction traits, multiple tissues for milk production and body conformation traits (reflecting their highly polygenic architecture), and thyroid for the different selection between beef and dairy cattle. Similarly, we detected relevant tissues for 58 complex traits and diseases in humans and observed that immune and fertility traits in humans significantly correlated with those in cattle in terms of relevant tissues, which facilitated the identification of causal genes for such traits. For instance, PIK3CG, a gene highly specifically expressed in mononuclear cells, was significantly associated with both age-at-menopause in human and daughter-still-birth in cattle. ICAM, a T cell-specific gene, was significantly associated with both allergic diseases in human and metritis in cattle. Conclusion Collectively, our results highlighted that comparative epigenomics in conjunction with GWAS and selection signature analyses could provide biological insights into the phenotypic variation and adaptive evolution. Cattle may serve as a model for human complex traits, by providing additional information beyond laboratory model organisms, particularly when more novel phenotypes become available in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuli Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.,College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ying Yu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - John B Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Albert Tenesa
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.,The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Tara G McDaneld
- US Meat Animal Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Clay Center, NE, 68933, USA
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA. .,MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK. .,Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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33
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Fang L, Cai W, Liu S, Canela-Xandri O, Gao Y, Jiang J, Rawlik K, Li B, Schroeder SG, Rosen BD, Li CJ, Sonstegard TS, Alexander LJ, Van Tassell CP, VanRaden PM, Cole JB, Yu Y, Zhang S, Tenesa A, Ma L, Liu GE. Comprehensive analyses of 723 transcriptomes enhance genetic and biological interpretations for complex traits in cattle. Genome Res 2020; 30:790-801. [PMID: 32424068 PMCID: PMC7263193 DOI: 10.1101/gr.250704.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
By uniformly analyzing 723 RNA-seq data from 91 tissues and cell types, we built a comprehensive gene atlas and studied tissue specificity of genes in cattle. We demonstrated that tissue-specific genes significantly reflected the tissue-relevant biology, showing distinct promoter methylation and evolution patterns (e.g., brain-specific genes evolve slowest, whereas testis-specific genes evolve fastest). Through integrative analyses of those tissue-specific genes with large-scale genome-wide association studies, we detected relevant tissues/cell types and candidate genes for 45 economically important traits in cattle, including blood/immune system (e.g., CCDC88C) for male fertility, brain (e.g., TRIM46 and RAB6A) for milk production, and multiple growth-related tissues (e.g., FGF6 and CCND2) for body conformation. We validated these findings by using epigenomic data across major somatic tissues and sperm. Collectively, our findings provided novel insights into the genetic and biological mechanisms underlying complex traits in cattle, and our transcriptome atlas can serve as a primary source for biological interpretation, functional validation, studies of adaptive evolution, and genomic improvement in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhao Fang
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Wentao Cai
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shuli Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Oriol Canela-Xandri
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Yahui Gao
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Jicai Jiang
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Konrad Rawlik
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Bingjie Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Steven G Schroeder
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Benjamin D Rosen
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Cong-Jun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | | | - Leeson J Alexander
- Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Miles City, Montana 59301, USA
| | - Curtis P Van Tassell
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Paul M VanRaden
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - John B Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Ying Yu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Albert Tenesa
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
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Kiefer H, Perrier JP. DNA methylation in bull spermatozoa: evolutionary impacts, interindividual variability, and contribution to the embryo. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjas-2019-0071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The DNA methylome of spermatozoa results from a unique epigenetic reprogramming crucial for chromatin compaction and the protection of the paternal genetic heritage. Although bull semen is widely used for artificial insemination (AI), little is known about the sperm epigenome in cattle. The purpose of this review is to synthetize recent work on the bull sperm methylome in light of the knowledge accumulated in humans and model species. We will address sperm-specific DNA methylation features and their potential evolutionary impacts, with particular emphasis on hypomethylated regions and repetitive elements. We will review recent examples of interindividual variability and intra-individual plasticity of the bull sperm methylome as related to fertility and age, respectively. Finally, we will address paternal methylome reprogramming after fertilization, as well as the mechanisms potentially involved in epigenetic inheritance, and provide some examples of disturbances that alter the dynamics of reprogramming in cattle. Because the selection of AI bulls is closely based on their genotypes, we will also discuss the complex interplay between sequence polymorphism and DNA methylation, which represents both a difficulty in addressing the role of DNA methylation in shaping phenotypes and an opportunity to better understand genome plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Kiefer
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, 78350 Jouy en-Josas, France
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, 78350 Jouy en-Josas, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Perrier
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, 78350 Jouy en-Josas, France
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, 78350 Jouy en-Josas, France
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35
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Metabolism-associated genome-wide epigenetic changes in bovine oocytes during early lactation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2345. [PMID: 32047242 PMCID: PMC7012839 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59410-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Dietary intake in early lactating cows is outmatched by milk production. These cows experience a negative energy balance, resulting in a distinct blood metabolism and poor reproductive function due to impaired ovulation and increased embryo loss. We hypothesize that oocytes from lactating cows undergoing transient metabolic stress exhibit a different epigenetic profile crucial for developmental competence. To investigate this, we collected oocytes from metabolically-profiled cows at early- and mid-postpartum stages and characterized their epigenetic landscape compared with control heifers using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. Early-postpartum cows were metabolically deficient with a significantly lower energy balance and significantly higher concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate than mid-postpartum animals and control heifers. Accordingly, 32,990 early-postpartum-specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were found in genes involved in metabolic pathways, carbon metabolism, and fatty acid metabolism, likely descriptive of the epigenetic regulation of metabolism in early-postpartum oocytes. DMRs found overlapping CpG islands and exons of imprinted genes such as MEST and GNAS in early-postpartum oocytes suggest that early lactation metabolic stress may affect imprint acquisition, which could explain the embryo loss. This whole-genome approach introduces potential candidate genes governing the link between metabolic stress and the reproductive outcome of oocytes.
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Khezri A, Narud B, Stenseth EB, Johannisson A, Myromslien FD, Gaustad AH, Wilson RC, Lyle R, Morrell JM, Kommisrud E, Ahmad R. DNA methylation patterns vary in boar sperm cells with different levels of DNA fragmentation. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:897. [PMID: 31775629 PMCID: PMC6880426 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6307-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sperm DNA integrity is considered essential for successful transmission of the paternal genome, fertilization and normal embryo development. DNA fragmentation index (DFI, %) has become a key parameter in the swine artificial insemination industry to assess sperm DNA integrity. Recently, in some elite Norwegian Landrace boars (boars with excellent field fertility records), a higher level of sperm DFI has been observed. In order to obtain a better understanding of this, and to study the complexity of sperm DNA integrity, liquid preserved semen samples from elite boars with contrasting DFI levels were examined for protamine deficiency, thiol profile and disulphide bonds. Additionally, the DNA methylation profiles of the samples were determined by reduced representation bisulphite sequencing (RRBS). RESULTS In this study, different traits related to sperm DNA integrity were investigated (n = 18 ejaculates). Upon liquid storage, the levels of total thiols and disulphide bonds decreased significantly, while the DFI and protamine deficiency level increased significantly. The RRBS results revealed similar global patterns of low methylation from semen samples with different levels of DFI (low, medium and high). Differential methylation analyses indicated that the number of differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) increased in the low-high compared to the low-medium and the medium-high DFI groups. Annotating the DMCs with gene and CpG features revealed clear differences between DFI groups. In addition, the number of annotated transcription starting sites (TSS) and associated pathways in the low-high comparison was greater than the other two groups. Pathway analysis showed that genes (based on the closest TSS to DMCs) corresponding to low-high DFI comparison were associated with important processes such as membrane function, metabolic cascade and antioxidant defence system. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating DNA methylation in boar sperm cells with different levels of DFI. The present study shows that sperm cells with varying levels of DNA fragmentation exhibit similar global methylation, but different site-specific DNA methylation signatures. Moreover, with increasing DNA fragmentation in spermatozoa, there is an increase in the number of potentially affected downstream genes and their respective regulatory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdolrahman Khezri
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
| | - Birgitte Narud
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
| | - Else-Berit Stenseth
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
| | - Anders Johannisson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Ann Helen Gaustad
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
- Topigs Norsvin, Hamar, Norway
| | - Robert C Wilson
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
| | - Robert Lyle
- Department of Medical Genetics and Norwegian Sequencing Centre, Oslo University Hospital and the University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jane M Morrell
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Kommisrud
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway
| | - Rafi Ahmad
- Department of Biotechnology, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Hamar, Norway.
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Liu S, Fang L, Zhou Y, Santos DJA, Xiang R, Daetwyler HD, Chamberlain AJ, Cole JB, Li CJ, Yu Y, Ma L, Zhang S, Liu GE. Analyses of inter-individual variations of sperm DNA methylation and their potential implications in cattle. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:888. [PMID: 31752687 PMCID: PMC6873545 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6228-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background DNA methylation has been shown to be involved in many biological processes, including X chromosome inactivation in females, paternal genomic imprinting, and others. Results Based on the correlation patterns of methylation levels of neighboring CpG sites among 28 sperm whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data (486 × coverage), we obtained 31,272 methylation haplotype blocks (MHBs). Among them, we defined conserved methylated regions (CMRs), variably methylated regions (VMRs) and highly variably methylated regions (HVMRs) among individuals, and showed that HVMRs might play roles in transcriptional regulation and function in complex traits variation and adaptive evolution by integrating evidence from traditional and molecular quantitative trait loci (QTL), and selection signatures. Using a weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), we also detected a co-regulated module of HVMRs that was significantly associated with reproduction traits, and enriched for glycosyltransferase genes, which play critical roles in spermatogenesis and fertilization. Additionally, we identified 46 VMRs significantly associated with reproduction traits, nine of which were regulated by cis-SNPs, implying the possible intrinsic relationships among genomic variations, DNA methylation, and phenotypes. These significant VMRs were co-localized (± 10 kb) with genes related to sperm motility and reproduction, including ZFP36L1, CRISP2 and HGF. We provided further evidence that rs109326022 within a predominant QTL on BTA18 might influence the reproduction traits through regulating the methylation level of nearby genes JOSD2 and ASPDH in sperm. Conclusion In summary, our results demonstrated associations of sperm DNA methylation with reproduction traits, highlighting the potential of epigenomic information in genomic improvement programs for cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuli Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.,USDA-ARS, Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- USDA-ARS, Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.,Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.,Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Education Ministry of China, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Daniel J A Santos
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Ruidong Xiang
- Faculty of Veterinary & Agricultural Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia.,Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBiosciences, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Hans D Daetwyler
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBiosciences, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia.,School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Amanda J Chamberlain
- Agriculture Victoria, AgriBio, Centre for AgriBiosciences, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - John B Cole
- USDA-ARS, Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Cong-Jun Li
- USDA-ARS, Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Ying Yu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Shengli Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
| | - George E Liu
- USDA-ARS, Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
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Menezes ESB, Badial PR, El Debaky H, Husna AU, Ugur MR, Kaya A, Topper E, Bulla C, Grant KE, Bolden-Tiller O, Moura AA, Memili E. Sperm miR-15a and miR-29b are associated with bull fertility. Andrologia 2019; 52:e13412. [PMID: 31671225 DOI: 10.1111/and.13412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs modulate male fertility by regulating gene expression. In this study, dynamics of sperm miR-15a, miR-29b and miR-34a from high fertility (HF) and low fertility (LF) bulls using RT-qPCR were evaluated. Bioinformatic tools were employed to ascertain genes of interest of the sperm miRNAs. The expression levels of p53, BCL2, BAX and DNMT1 in bull spermatozoa were determined by immunoblotting. MicroRNA levels of miR-15a and miR-29 were higher in LF sires when compared with those present in HF bulls. Expression levels of miR-34a did not differ between the two groups. We found an inverse correlation between miR-15a and bull fertility. MiR29-b was also negatively associated with fertility scores. BCL2 and DNMT1 were higher in HF bulls while BAX was higher in the LF group. Our data showed a positive correlation between BCL2 and bull fertility. In addition, DNMT1 was positively associated with bull fertility. Furthermore, levels of BAX were negatively linked with bull fertility scores. Identification of miRNAs found in the spermatozoa of sires with different in vivo fertility helps understand the alterations in the fertilising capacity from cattle and other mammals. These potential biomarkers can be used in reproductive biotechnology as fertility markers to assess semen quality and predict male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika S B Menezes
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Peres Ramos Badial
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Hazem El Debaky
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Asma Ul Husna
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,Department of Zoology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Muhammet Rasit Ugur
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Abdullah Kaya
- URUS Group LP, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | | | - Camilo Bulla
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Kamilah E Grant
- Center for Biotechnology and Department of Agriculture School of Agriculture & Applied Sciences, Alcorn State University, Lorman, MS, USA
| | - Olga Bolden-Tiller
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, USA
| | - Arlindo A Moura
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Erdoğan Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
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Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation of Immune Response and Resistance to Infectious Diseases in Domestic Ruminants. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2019; 35:405-429. [PMID: 31590895 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases are the outcome of complex interactions between the host, pathogen, and environment. After exposure to a pathogen, the host immune system uses various mechanisms to remove the pathogen. However, environmental factors and characteristics of pathogens can compromise the host immune responses and subsequently alter the outcome of infection. In this article, genetic and epigenetic factors that shape the individual variation in mounting protective responses are reviewed. Different approaches that have been used by researchers to investigate the genetic regulation of immunity in ruminants and various sources of genetic information are discussed.
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40
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Cellular Mechanisms and Epigenetic Changes: Role of Nutrition in Livestock. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2019; 35:249-263. [PMID: 31103179 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the context of physiologic responses that determine the growth, development, and health status of livestock, the role of epigenetics and the underlying cellular mechanisms it affects remain to be fully elucidated. Although recent work has provided evidence that maternal dietary energy level, carbohydrate type, or intestinal supply of methyl donors can elicit molecular changes in tissues of the embryo, fetus, or neonate, there are few data linking epigenetics with biochemical and physiologic outcomes. Therefore, efforts linking the epigenome with physiologic and developmental outcomes offer exciting opportunities for discoveries that can impact efficiency of nutrient use and well-being of livestock.
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41
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Fang L, Zhou Y, Liu S, Jiang J, Bickhart DM, Null DJ, Li B, Schroeder SG, Rosen BD, Cole JB, Van Tassell CP, Ma L, Liu GE. Integrating Signals from Sperm Methylome Analysis and Genome-Wide Association Study for a Better Understanding of Male Fertility in Cattle. EPIGENOMES 2019; 3:epigenomes3020010. [PMID: 34968233 PMCID: PMC8594688 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes3020010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Decreased male fertility is a big concern in both human society and the livestock industry. Sperm DNA methylation is commonly believed to be associated with male fertility. However, due to the lack of accurate male fertility records (i.e., limited mating times), few studies have investigated the comprehensive impacts of sperm DNA methylation on male fertility in mammals. In this study, we generated 10 sperm DNA methylomes and performed a preliminary correlation analysis between signals from sperm DNA methylation and signals from large-scale (n = 27,214) genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of 35 complex traits (including 12 male fertility-related traits). We detected genomic regions, which experienced DNA methylation alterations in sperm and were associated with aging and extreme fertility phenotypes (e.g., sire-conception rate or SCR). In dynamic hypomethylated regions (HMRs) and partially methylated domains (PMDs), we found genes (e.g., HOX gene clusters and microRNAs) that were involved in the embryonic development. We demonstrated that genomic regions, which gained rather than lost methylations during aging, and in animals with low SCR were significantly and selectively enriched for GWAS signals of male fertility traits. Our study discovered 16 genes as the potential candidate markers for male fertility, including SAMD5 and PDE5A. Collectively, this initial effort supported a hypothesis that sperm DNA methylation may contribute to male fertility in cattle and revealed the usefulness of functional annotations in enhancing biological interpretation and genomic prediction for complex traits and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhao Fang
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Education Ministry of China, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shuli Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jicai Jiang
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Derek M. Bickhart
- Dairy Forage Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Madison, WI 53718, USA
| | - Daniel J. Null
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Bingjie Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Steven G. Schroeder
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Benjamin D. Rosen
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - John B. Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Curtis P. Van Tassell
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (G.E.L.); Tel.: +1-301-405-1389 (L.M.); +1-301-504-9843 (G.E.L.); Fax: +1-301-504-8414 (G.E.L.)
| | - George E. Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (G.E.L.); Tel.: +1-301-405-1389 (L.M.); +1-301-504-9843 (G.E.L.); Fax: +1-301-504-8414 (G.E.L.)
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42
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Fang L, Zhou Y, Liu S, Jiang J, Bickhart DM, Null DJ, Li B, Schroeder SG, Rosen BD, Cole JB, Van Tassell CP, Ma L, Liu GE. Comparative analyses of sperm DNA methylomes among human, mouse and cattle provide insights into epigenomic evolution and complex traits. Epigenetics 2019; 14:260-276. [PMID: 30810461 PMCID: PMC6557555 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1582217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm DNA methylation is crucial for fertility and viability of offspring but epigenome evolution in mammals is largely understudied. By comparing sperm DNA methylomes and large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals between human and cattle, we aimed to examine the DNA methylome evolution and its associations with complex phenotypes in mammals. Our analysis revealed that genes with conserved non-methylated promoters (e.g., ANKS1A and WNT7A) among human and cattle were involved in common system and embryo development, and enriched for GWAS signals of body conformation traits in both species, while genes with conserved hypermethylated promoters (e.g., TCAP and CD80) were engaged in immune responses and highlighted by immune-related traits. On the other hand, genes with human-specific hypomethylated promoters (e.g., FOXP2 and HYDIN) were engaged in neuron system development and enriched for GWAS signals of brain-related traits, while genes with cattle-specific hypomethylated promoters (e.g., LDHB and DGAT2) mainly participated in lipid storage and metabolism. We validated our findings using sperm-retained nucleosome, preimplantation transcriptome, and adult tissue transcriptome data, as well as sequence evolutionary features, including motif binding sites, mutation rates, recombination rates and evolution signatures. In conclusion, our results demonstrate important roles of epigenome evolution in shaping the genetic architecture underlying complex phenotypes, hence enhance signal prioritization in GWAS and provide valuable information for human neurological disorders and livestock genetic improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhao Fang
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA.,b Department of Animal and Avian Sciences , University of Maryland , College Park , MD , USA
| | - Yang Zhou
- c Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Education Ministry of China , Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan , Hubei , China
| | - Shuli Liu
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA.,d Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology , China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Jicai Jiang
- b Department of Animal and Avian Sciences , University of Maryland , College Park , MD , USA
| | - Derek M Bickhart
- e Dairy Forage Research Center , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Daniel J Null
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - Bingjie Li
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - Steven G Schroeder
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - Benjamin D Rosen
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - John B Cole
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - Curtis P Van Tassell
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - Li Ma
- b Department of Animal and Avian Sciences , University of Maryland , College Park , MD , USA
| | - George E Liu
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
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Fang L, Jiang J, Li B, Zhou Y, Freebern E, Vanraden PM, Cole JB, Liu GE, Ma L. Genetic and epigenetic architecture of paternal origin contribute to gestation length in cattle. Commun Biol 2019; 2:100. [PMID: 30886909 PMCID: PMC6418173 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0341-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The length of gestation can affect offspring health and performance. Both maternal and fetal effects contribute to gestation length; however, paternal contributions to gestation length remain elusive. Using genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 27,214 Holstein bulls with millions of gestation records, here we identify nine paternal genomic loci associated with cattle gestation length. We demonstrate that these GWAS signals are enriched in pathways relevant to embryonic development, and in differentially methylated regions between sperm samples with long and short gestation length. We reveal that gestation length shares genetic and epigenetic architecture in sperm with calving ability, body depth, and conception rate. While several candidate genes are detected in our fine-mapping analysis, we provide evidence indicating ZNF613 as a promising candidate for cattle gestation length. Collectively, our findings support that the paternal genome and epigenome can impact gestation length potentially through regulation of the embryonic development. Lingzhao Fang et al. studied the paternal genetic variants that affect gestational length in cattle. They found that paternal genes from pathways involved in embryonic development were associated with gestation length, and that these were often found in differentially methylated regions of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhao Fang
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.,Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Jicai Jiang
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Bingjie Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Education Ministry of China, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ellen Freebern
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Paul M Vanraden
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - John B Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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44
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Zhou Y, Connor EE, Bickhart DM, Li C, Baldwin RL, Schroeder SG, Rosen BD, Yang L, Van Tassell CP, Liu GE. Comparative whole genome DNA methylation profiling of cattle sperm and somatic tissues reveals striking hypomethylated patterns in sperm. Gigascience 2018; 7:4965117. [PMID: 29635292 PMCID: PMC5928411 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giy039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although sperm DNA methylation has been studied in humans and other species, its status in cattle is largely unknown. Results Using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), we profiled the DNA methylome of cattle sperm through comparison with three somatic tissues (mammary gland, brain, and blood). Large differences between cattle sperm and somatic cells were observed in the methylation patterns of global CpGs, pericentromeric satellites, partially methylated domains (PMDs), hypomethylated regions (HMRs), and common repeats. As expected, we observed low methylation in the promoter regions and high methylation in the bodies of active genes. We detected selective hypomethylation of megabase domains of centromeric satellite clusters, which may be related to chromosome segregation during meiosis and their rapid transcriptional activation upon fertilization. We found more PMDs in sperm cells than in somatic cells and identified meiosis-related genes such asKIF2B and REPIN1, which are hypomethylated in sperm but hypermethylated in somatic cells. In addition to the common HMRs around gene promoters, which showed substantial differences between sperm and somatic cells, the sperm-specific HMRs also targeted to distinct spermatogenesis-related genes, including BOLL, MAEL, ASZ1, SYCP3, CTCFL, MND1, SPATA22, PLD6, DDX4, RBBP8, FKBP6, and SYCE1. Although common repeats were heavily methylated in both sperm and somatic cells, some young Bov-A2 repeats, which belong to the SINE family, were hypomethylated in sperm and could affect the promoter structures by introducing new regulatory elements. Conclusions Our study provides a comprehensive resource for bovine sperm epigenomic research and enables new discoveries about DNA methylation and its role in male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Education Ministry of China, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China.,Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Erin E Connor
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Derek M Bickhart
- The Cell Wall Utilization and Biology Laboratory, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Congjun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Ransom L Baldwin
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Steven G Schroeder
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Benjamin D Rosen
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Liguo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Education Ministry of China, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Curtis P Van Tassell
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
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