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Asselstine V, Medrano JF, Muniz MMM, Mallard BA, Karrow NA, Cánovas A. Novel lncRNA regulatory elements in milk somatic cells of Holstein dairy cows associated with mastitis. Commun Biol 2024; 7:98. [PMID: 38225372 PMCID: PMC10789785 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05764-y] [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: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite regulatory elements such as long non - coding RNAs representing most of the transcriptome, the functional understanding of long non - coding RNAs in relation to major health conditions including bovine mastitis is limited. This study examined the milk somatic cell transcriptome from udder quarters of 6 Holstein dairy cows to identify differentially expressed long non - coding RNAs using RNA - Sequencing. Ninety - four differentially expressed long non - coding RNAs are identified, 5 of which are previously annotated for gene name and length, 11 are annotated for gene name and 78 are novel, having no gene name or length previously annotated. Significant inflammatory response and regulation of immune response pathways (false discovery rate < 0.05) are associated with the differentially expressed long non - coding RNAs. QTL annotation analysis revealed 31 QTL previously annotated in the genomic regions of the 94 differentially expressed long non - coding RNAs, and the majority are associated with milk traits. This research provides a better understanding of long non - coding RNAs regulatory elements in milk somatic cells, which may enhance current breeding strategies for more adaptable or high mastitis resistant cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Asselstine
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, N1G 2W1, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Juan F Medrano
- Department of Animal Science, University of California-Davis, 95616, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Malane M M Muniz
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, N1G 2W1, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Bonnie A Mallard
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, N1G 2W1, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Niel A Karrow
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, N1G 2W1, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Angela Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, N1G 2W1, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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Bisutti V, Mach N, Giannuzzi D, Vanzin A, Capra E, Negrini R, Gelain ME, Cecchinato A, Ajmone-Marsan P, Pegolo S. Transcriptome-wide mapping of milk somatic cells upon subclinical mastitis infection in dairy cattle. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:93. [PMID: 37403140 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00890-9] [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: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Subclinical intramammary infection (IMI) represents a significant problem in maintaining dairy cows' health. Disease severity and extent depend on the interaction between the causative agent, environment, and host. To investigate the molecular mechanisms behind the host immune response, we used RNA-Seq for the milk somatic cells (SC) transcriptome profiling in healthy cows (n = 9), and cows naturally affected by subclinical IMI from Prototheca spp. (n = 11) and Streptococcus agalactiae (S. agalactiae; n = 11). Data Integration Analysis for Biomarker discovery using Latent Components (DIABLO) was used to integrate transcriptomic data and host phenotypic traits related to milk composition, SC composition, and udder health to identify hub variables for subclinical IMI detection. RESULTS A total of 1,682 and 2,427 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified when comparing Prototheca spp. and S. agalactiae to healthy animals, respectively. Pathogen-specific pathway analyses evidenced that Prototheca's infection upregulated antigen processing and lymphocyte proliferation pathways while S. agalactiae induced a reduction of energy-related pathways like the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The integrative analysis of commonly shared DEGs between the two pathogens (n = 681) referred to the core-mastitis response genes, and phenotypic data evidenced a strong covariation between those genes and the flow cytometry immune cells (r2 = 0.72), followed by the udder health (r2 = 0.64) and milk quality parameters (r2 = 0.64). Variables with r ≥ 0.90 were used to build a network in which the top 20 hub variables were identified with the Cytoscape cytohubba plug-in. The genes in common between DIABLO and cytohubba (n = 10) were submitted to a ROC analysis which showed they had excellent predictive performances in terms of discriminating healthy and mastitis-affected animals (sensitivity > 0.89, specificity > 0.81, accuracy > 0.87, and precision > 0.69). Among these genes, CIITA could play a key role in regulating the animals' response to subclinical IMI. CONCLUSIONS Despite some differences in the enriched pathways, the two mastitis-causing pathogens seemed to induce a shared host immune-transcriptomic response. The hub variables identified with the integrative approach might be included in screening and diagnostic tools for subclinical IMI detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittoria Bisutti
- DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, Legnaro, PD, 35020, Italy.
| | - Núria Mach
- IHAP, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, 23 Chemin Des Capelles, Toulouse, 31300, France
| | - Diana Giannuzzi
- DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, Legnaro, PD, 35020, Italy
| | - Alice Vanzin
- DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, Legnaro, PD, 35020, Italy
| | - Emanuele Capra
- IBBA, National Research Council, Via Einstein, Lodi, 26900, Italy
| | - Riccardo Negrini
- DIANA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via E. Parmense 84, Piacenza, 29122, Italy
| | - Maria Elena Gelain
- BCA, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, Legnaro, PD, 35020, Italy
| | - Alessio Cecchinato
- DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, Legnaro, PD, 35020, Italy
| | - Paolo Ajmone-Marsan
- DIANA, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via E. Parmense 84, Piacenza, 29122, Italy
| | - Sara Pegolo
- DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale Dell'Università 16, Legnaro, PD, 35020, Italy
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Identification of Novel mRNA Isoforms Associated with Acute Heat Stress Response Using RNA Sequencing Data in Sprague Dawley Rats. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11121740. [PMID: 36552250 PMCID: PMC9774719 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms underlying heat stress tolerance in animals to high temperatures remain unclear. This study identified the differentially expressed mRNA isoforms which narrowed down the most reliable DEG markers and molecular pathways that underlie the mechanisms of thermoregulation. This experiment was performed on Sprague Dawley rats housed at 22 °C (control group; CT), and three acute heat-stressed groups housed at 42 °C for 30 min (H30), 60 min (H60), and 120 min (H120). Earlier, we demonstrated that acute heat stress increased the rectal temperature of rats, caused abnormal changes in the blood biochemical parameters, as well as induced dramatic changes in the expression levels of genes through epigenetics and post-transcriptional regulation. Transcriptomic analysis using RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) data obtained previously from blood (CT and H120), liver (CT, H30, H60, and H120), and adrenal glands (CT, H30, H60, and H120) was performed. The differentially expressed mRNA isoforms (DEIs) were identified and annotated by the CLC Genomics Workbench. Biological process and metabolic pathway analyses were performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. A total of 225, 5764, and 4988 DEIs in the blood, liver, and adrenal glands were observed. Furthermore, the number of novel differentially expressed transcript lengths with annotated genes and novel differentially expressed transcript with non-annotated genes were 136 and 8 in blood, 3549 and 120 in the liver, as well as 3078 and 220 in adrenal glands, respectively. About 35 genes were involved in the heat stress response, out of which, Dnaja1, LOC680121, Chordc1, AABR07011951.1, Hsp90aa1, Hspa1b, Cdkn1a, Hmox1, Bag3, and Dnaja4 were commonly identified in the liver and adrenal glands, suggesting that these genes may regulate heat stress response through interactions between the liver and adrenal glands. In conclusion, this study would enhance our understanding of the complex underlying mechanisms of acute heat stress, and the identified mRNA isoforms and genes can be used as potential candidates for thermotolerance selection in mammals.
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Olasege BS, Porto-Neto LR, Tahir MS, Gouveia GC, Cánovas A, Hayes BJ, Fortes MRS. Correlation scan: identifying genomic regions that affect genetic correlations applied to fertility traits. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:684. [PMID: 36195838 PMCID: PMC9533527 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08898-7] [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: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the genetic correlations between complex traits have been estimated for more than a century, only recently we have started to map and understand the precise localization of the genomic region(s) that underpin these correlations. Reproductive traits are often genetically correlated. Yet, we don't fully understand the complexities, synergism, or trade-offs between male and female fertility. In this study, we used reproductive traits in two cattle populations (Brahman; BB, Tropical Composite; TC) to develop a novel framework termed correlation scan (CS). This framework was used to identify local regions associated with the genetic correlations between male and female fertility traits. Animals were genotyped with bovine high-density single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) chip assay. The data used consisted of ~1000 individual records measured through frequent ovarian scanning for age at first corpus luteum (AGECL) and a laboratory assay for serum levels of insulin growth hormone (IGF1 measured in bulls, IGF1b, or cows, IGF1c). The methodology developed herein used correlations of 500-SNP effects in a 100-SNPs sliding window in each chromosome to identify local genomic regions that either drive or antagonize the genetic correlations between traits. We used Fisher's Z-statistics through a permutation method to confirm which regions of the genome harboured significant correlations. About 30% of the total genomic regions were identified as driving and antagonizing genetic correlations between male and female fertility traits in the two populations. These regions confirmed the polygenic nature of the traits being studied and pointed to genes of interest. For BB, the most important chromosome in terms of local regions is often located on bovine chromosome (BTA) 14. However, the important regions are spread across few different BTA's in TC. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and functional enrichment analysis revealed many significant windows co-localized with known QTLs related to milk production and fertility traits, especially puberty. In general, the enriched reproductive QTLs driving the genetic correlations between male and female fertility are the same for both cattle populations, while the antagonizing regions were population specific. Moreover, most of the antagonizing regions were mapped to chromosome X. These results suggest regions of chromosome X for further investigation into the trade-offs between male and female fertility. We compared the CS with two other recently proposed methods that map local genomic correlations. Some genomic regions were significant across methods. Yet, many significant regions identified with the CS were overlooked by other methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babatunde S Olasege
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Saint Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | | | - Muhammad S Tahir
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Saint Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Gabriela C Gouveia
- Animal Science Department, Veterinary School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Angela Cánovas
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Ben J Hayes
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), Saint Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Marina R S Fortes
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Saint Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. .,The University of Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), Saint Lucia Campus, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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de Souza Fonseca PA, Suárez-Vega A, Cánovas A. Unrevealing functional candidate genes for bovine fertility through RNA sequencing meta-analysis and regulatory elements networks of co-expressed genes and lncRNAs. Funct Integr Genomics 2022; 22:1361-1376. [PMID: 36001276 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-022-00893-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The high genetic heterogeneity and environmental effects of subfertility in livestock species make the elucidation of the genetic mechanisms associated with reproductive efficiency a difficult task. Network and co-expression network meta-analyses were applied alongside genetic variant calling and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) characterization to identify functionally relevant target genes and regulatory subnetworks associated with fertility in dairy cattle. In total, 505 lncRNAs (441 previously annotated in the bovine reference genome ARS-UCD 1.2 and 64 novel lncRNAs) were identified. Seven differentially expressed genes between high-fertile (HF) and sub-fertile (SF) Holstein cows were identified in the network meta-analysis (CA5A, ENSBTAG00000051149, ENSBTAG00000003272, DEFB7, DIO2, TRPV3, and COL4A4). Additionally, seven functional candidate differentially co-expressed (DcoExp) modules with a differential regulatory pattern (|z-score|>2) were identified between HF and SF cows. The functional candidate genes and DcoExp modules identified were associated with fertility relevant processes such as the regulation of embryonic implantation and proliferation, interaction and molecule transfer between the fetus and the cow, and the immune system. These results help to better understand the genetic mechanisms associated with reproductive efficiency in dairy cattle through the identification of potential biomarkers and genetic variants associated with differentially expressed regulatory gene and lncRNAs regulatory element networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Augusto de Souza Fonseca
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Aroa Suárez-Vega
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Angela Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Fernández-Barroso MÁ, García-Casco JM, Núñez Y, Ramírez-Hidalgo L, Matos G, Muñoz M. Understanding the role of myoglobin content in Iberian pigs fattened in an extensive system through analysis of the transcriptome profile. Anim Genet 2022; 53:352-367. [PMID: 35355298 PMCID: PMC9314091 DOI: 10.1111/age.13195] [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: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Meat color is the first perceived sensory feature and one of the most important quality traits. Myoglobin is the main pigment in meat, giving meat its characteristic cherry‐red color, highly appreciated by the consumers. In the current study, we used the RNA‐seq technique to characterize the longissimus dorsi muscle transcriptome in two groups of Iberian pigs with divergent breeding values for myoglobin content. As a result, we identified 57 differentially expressed genes and transcripts (DEGs). Moreover, we have validated the RNA‐seq expression of a set of genes by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Functional analyses revealed an enrichment of DEGs in biological processes related to oxidation (HBA1), lipid metabolism (ECH1, PLA2G10, PLD2), inflammation (CHST1, CD209, PLA2G10), and immune system (CD209, MX2, LGALS3, LGALS9). The upstream analysis showed a total of five transcriptional regulatory factors and eight master regulators that could moderate the expression of some DEGs, highlighting SPI1 and MAPK1, since they regulate the expression of DEGs involved in immune defense and inflammatory processes. Iberian pigs with high myoglobin content also showed higher expression of the HBA1 gene and both molecules, myoglobin and hemoglobin, have been described as having a protective effect against oxidative and inflammatory processes. Therefore, the HBA1 gene is a very promising candidate gene to harbor polymorphisms underlying myoglobin content, whereby further studies should be carried out for its potential use in an Iberian pig selection program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ángel Fernández-Barroso
- Centro Nacional de I+D del Cerdo Ibérico, INIA-CSIC, Zafra, Spain.,Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan María García-Casco
- Centro Nacional de I+D del Cerdo Ibérico, INIA-CSIC, Zafra, Spain.,Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yolanda Núñez
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Gema Matos
- Sánchez Romero Carvajal-Jabugo, SRC, Huelva, Spain
| | - María Muñoz
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Asselstine V, Medrano JF, Cánovas A. Identification of novel alternative splicing associated with mastitis disease in Holstein dairy cows using large gap read mapping. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:222. [PMID: 35305573 PMCID: PMC8934477 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08430-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mastitis is a very common disease in the dairy industry that producers encounter daily. Transcriptomics, using RNA-Sequencing (RNA - Seq) technology, can be used to study the functional aspect of mastitis resistance to identify animals that have a better immune response to mastitis. When the cow has mastitis, not only genes but also specific mRNA isoforms generated via alternative splicing (AS) could be differentially expressed (DE), leading to the phenotypic variation observed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to use large gap read mapping to identify mRNA isoforms DE between healthy and mastitic milk somatic cell samples (N = 12). These mRNA isoforms were then categorized based on being 1) annotated mRNA isoforms for gene name and length, 2) annotated mRNA isoforms with different transcript length and 3) novel mRNA isoforms of non - annotated genes. Results Analysis identified 333 DE transcripts (with at least 2 mRNA isoforms annotated, with at least one being DE) between healthy and mastitic samples corresponding to 303 unique genes. Of these 333 DE transcripts between healthy and mastitic samples, 68 mRNA isoforms are annotated in the bovine genome reference (ARS.UCD.1.2), 249 mRNA isoforms had novel transcript lengths of known genes and 16 were novel transcript lengths of non - annotated genes in the bovine genome reference (ARS.UCD.1.2). Functional analysis including gene ontology, gene network and metabolic pathway analysis was performed on the list of 288 annotated and unique DE mRNA isoforms. In total, 67 significant metabolic pathways were identified including positive regulation of cytokine secretion and immune response. Additionally, numerous DE novel mRNA isoforms showed potential involvement with the immune system or mastitis. Lastly, QTL annotation analysis was performed on coding regions of the DE mRNA isoforms, identifying overlapping QTLs associated with clinical mastitis and somatic cell score. Conclusion This study identified novel mRNA isoforms generated via AS that could lead to differences in the immune response of Holstein dairy cows and be potentially implemented in future breeding programs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08430-x.
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Small genetic variation affecting mRNA isoforms associated with marbling and meat color in beef cattle. Funct Integr Genomics 2022; 22:451-466. [PMID: 35305194 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-022-00844-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify mRNA isoforms and small genetic variants that may be affecting marbling and beef color in Nellore cattle. Longissimus thoracis muscle samples from 20 bulls with different phenotypes (out of 80 bulls set) for marbling (moderate (n = 10) and low (n = 10) groups) and beef color (desirable (n = 10) and undesirable (n = 9) group) traits were used to perform transcriptomic analysis using RNA sequencing. Fourteen and 15 mRNA isoforms were detected as differentially expressed (DE) (P-value ≤ 0.001) between divergent groups for marbling and meat color traits, respectively. Some of those DE mRNA isoforms have shown sites of splicing modified by small structural variants as single nucleotide variant (SNV), insertion, and/or deletion. Enrichment analysis identified metabolic pathways, such as O2/CO2 exchange in erythrocytes, tyrosine biosynthesis, and phenylalanine degradation. The results obtained suggest potential key regulatory genes associated with these economically important traits for the beef industry and for the consumer.
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Exploring the Possible Link between the Gut Microbiome and Fat Deposition in Pigs. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:1098892. [PMID: 35103093 PMCID: PMC8800603 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1098892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Excessive lipid accumulation and high oxidative stress have become a serious health and economic problem in the pig industry. Fatness characteristics are crucial in pig production since they are closely related to meat quality. The gut microbiome is well acknowledged as a key element in fat deposition. But the link between gut microbiota and fat accumulation in pigs remains elusive. To examine whether there is a link between pigs' gut microbiome, lipogenic properties, and oxidative stress, we selected 5 high-fat pigs and 5 low-fat pigs from 60 250-day-old Jinhua pigs in the present study and collected the colon content, serum sample, and liver and abdominal fat segments from each pig for metagenomic analysis, the oxidative stress assay, and RT-qPCR analysis, respectively. The backfat thickness and fat content of the longissimus dorsi muscle were considerably higher in the high-fat pigs than in the low-fat pigs (P < 0.05). An obvious difference in GSH-Px and MDA in the serum between the high- and low-fat pigs was observed. After RT-qPCR analysis, we found the gene expression of ACC1 and SREBP1 in the liver and FAS, PPARγ, and LPL in the abdominal fat were significantly higher in high-fat pigs than in low-fat pigs (P < 0.05). Additionally, metagenomic sequencing revealed that high-fat pigs had a higher abundance of Archaeal species with methanogenesis functions, leading to more-efficient fat deposition, while low-fat pigs had higher abundances of butyrate-producing bacteria species that improved the formation of SCFAs, especially butyrate, thus alleviating fat deposition in pigs. Furthermore, a total of 17 CAZyme families were identified to give significant enrichments in different fat phenotypes of pigs. This study would provide a detailed understanding of how the gut microbiome influences fat deposition in pigs, as well as a hint for improving growth performance and fatness traits by manipulating the gut microbiome.
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Fonseca PADS, Caldwell T, Mandell I, Wood K, Cánovas A. Genome-wide association study for meat tenderness in beef cattle identifies patterns of the genetic contribution in different post-mortem stages. Meat Sci 2022; 186:108733. [PMID: 35007800 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2022.108733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The beef tenderization process during the post-mortem period is one of the most important sensorial attributes and it is well-established. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic contribution pattern to meat tenderness at 7-(LMD7), 14-(LMD14), and 21-(LMD21) days post-mortem. The heritabilities for LMD7 (0.194), LMD14 (0.142) and LMD21 (0.048) are well established in the population evaluated here. However, its genetic contribution in terms of genomic candidate regions is still poorly understood. Tenderness was measured in the Longissiums thoracis using Warner-Bratzler shear force in the three post-mortem periods. A total of 4323 crossbred beef cattle were phenotyped and genotyped using the Illumina BovineSNP50K. The percentage of the total genetic variance was estimated using the weighted single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction method. The main candidate windows for LMD7 were associated with proteolysis of myofibrillar structures and the weakening endomysium and perimysium. Candidate windows for LMD14 and LMD21 were mapped in bovine QTLs for body composition, height and growth. Results presented herein highlight, the largest contribution of proteolysis related processes before 14-days post-mortem and body composition characteristics in later stages for meat tenderness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Augusto de Souza Fonseca
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Tim Caldwell
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Ira Mandell
- Centre for Nutrition Modelling, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Katharine Wood
- Centre for Nutrition Modelling, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Angela Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Qi X, Gu H, Qu L. Transcriptome-Wide Analyses Identify Dominant as the Predominantly Non-Conservative Alternative Splicing Inheritance Patterns in F1 Chickens. Front Genet 2021; 12:774240. [PMID: 34925458 PMCID: PMC8678468 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.774240] [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: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptome analysis has been used to investigate many economically traits in chickens; however, alternative splicing still lacks a systematic method of study that is able to promote proteome diversity, and fine-tune expression dynamics. Hybridization has been widely utilized in chicken breeding due to the resulting heterosis, but the dynamic changes in alternative splicing during this process are significant yet unclear. In this study, we performed a reciprocal crossing experiment involving the White Leghorn and Cornish Game chicken breeds which exhibit major differences in body size and reproductive traits, and conducted RNA sequencing of the brain, muscle, and liver tissues to identify the inheritance patterns. A total of 40 515 and 42 612 events were respectively detected in the brain and muscle tissues, with 39 843 observed in the liver; 2807, 4242, and 4538 events significantly different between two breeds were identified in the brain, muscle, and liver tissues, respectively. The hierarchical cluster of tissues from different tissues from all crosses, based on the alternative splicing profiles, suggests high tissue and strain specificity. Furthermore, a comparison between parental strains and hybrid crosses indicated that over one third of alternative splicing genes showed conserved patterns in all three tissues, while the second prevalent pattern was non-additive, which included both dominant and transgressive patterns; this meant that the dominant pattern plays a more important role than suppression. Our study provides an overview of the inheritance patterns of alternative splicing in layer and broiler chickens, to better understand post-transcriptional regulation during hybridization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Qi
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongchang Gu
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lujiang Qu
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Asselstine V, Lam S, Miglior F, Brito LF, Sweett H, Guan L, Waters SM, Plastow G, Cánovas A. The potential for mitigation of methane emissions in ruminants through the application of metagenomics, metabolomics, and other -OMICS technologies. J Anim Sci 2021; 99:6377879. [PMID: 34586400 PMCID: PMC8480417 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skab193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ruminant supply chains contribute 5.7 gigatons of CO2-eq per annum, which represents approximately 80% of the livestock sector emissions. One of the largest sources of emission in the ruminant sector is methane (CH4), accounting for approximately 40% of the sectors total emissions. With climate change being a growing concern, emphasis is being put on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including those from ruminant production. Various genetic and environmental factors influence cattle CH4 production, such as breed, genetic makeup, diet, management practices, and physiological status of the host. The influence of genetic variability on CH4 yield in ruminants indicates that genomic selection for reduced CH4 emissions is possible. Although the microbiology of CH4 production has been studied, further research is needed to identify key differences in the host and microbiome genomes and how they interact with one another. The advancement of “-omics” technologies, such as metabolomics and metagenomics, may provide valuable information in this regard. Improved understanding of genetic mechanisms associated with CH4 production and the interaction between the microbiome profile and host genetics will increase the rate of genetic progress for reduced CH4 emissions. Through a systems biology approach, various “-omics” technologies can be combined to unravel genomic regions and genetic markers associated with CH4 production, which can then be used in selective breeding programs. This comprehensive review discusses current challenges in applying genomic selection for reduced CH4 emissions, and the potential for “-omics” technologies, especially metabolomics and metagenomics, to minimize such challenges. The integration and evaluation of different levels of biological information using a systems biology approach is also discussed, which can assist in understanding the underlying genetic mechanisms and biology of CH4 production traits in ruminants and aid in reducing agriculture’s overall environmental footprint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Asselstine
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Stephanie Lam
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Filippo Miglior
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Luiz F Brito
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.,Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Hannah Sweett
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Leluo Guan
- Livestock Gentec, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2C8, Canada
| | - Sinead M Waters
- Animal and Bioscience Research Department, Teagasc Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, C15 PW93, Ireland
| | - Graham Plastow
- Livestock Gentec, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2C8, Canada
| | - Angela Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock (CGIL), Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
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13
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Wang L, Zhang Y, Zhang B, Zhong H, Lu Y, Zhang H. Candidate gene screening for lipid deposition using combined transcriptomic and proteomic data from Nanyang black pigs. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:441. [PMID: 34118873 PMCID: PMC8201413 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07764-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lower selection intensities in indigenous breeds of Chinese pig have resulted in obvious genetic and phenotypic divergence. One such breed, the Nanyang black pig, is renowned for its high lipid deposition and high genetic divergence, making it an ideal model in which to investigate lipid position trait mechanisms in pigs. An understanding of lipid deposition in pigs might improve pig meat traits in future breeding and promote the selection progress of pigs through modern molecular breeding techniques. Here, transcriptome and tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteome (TMT)-based proteome analyses were carried out using longissimus dorsi (LD) tissues from individual Nanyang black pigs that showed high levels of genetic variation. Results A large population of Nanyang black pigs was phenotyped using multi-production trait indexes, and six pigs were selected and divided into relatively high and low lipid deposition groups. The combined transcriptomic and proteomic data identified 15 candidate genes that determine lipid deposition genetic divergence. Among them, FASN, CAT, and SLC25A20 were the main causal candidate genes. The other genes could be divided into lipid deposition-related genes (BDH2, FASN, CAT, DHCR24, ACACA, GK, SQLE, ACSL4, and SCD), PPARA-centered fat metabolism regulatory factors (PPARA, UCP3), transcription or translation regulators (SLC25A20, PDK4, CEBPA), as well as integrin, structural proteins, and signal transduction-related genes (EGFR). Conclusions This multi-omics data set has provided a valuable resource for future analysis of lipid deposition traits, which might improve pig meat traits in future breeding and promote the selection progress in pigs, especially in Nanyang black pigs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07764-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Wang
- College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding/Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yawen Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding/Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding/Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Haian Zhong
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding/Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yunfeng Lu
- College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, China.
| | - Hao Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding/Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
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14
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Dou J, Cánovas A, Brito LF, Yu Y, Schenkel FS, Wang Y. Comprehensive RNA-Seq Profiling Reveals Temporal and Tissue-Specific Changes in Gene Expression in Sprague-Dawley Rats as Response to Heat Stress Challenges. Front Genet 2021; 12:651979. [PMID: 33897767 PMCID: PMC8063118 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.651979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding heat stress physiology and identifying reliable biomarkers are paramount for developing effective management and mitigation strategies. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying thermal tolerance in animals. In an experimental model of Sprague–Dawley rats subjected to temperatures of 22 ± 1°C (control group; CT) and 42°C for 30 min (H30), 60 min (H60), and 120 min (H120), RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) assays were performed for blood (CT and H120), liver (CT, H30, H60, and H120), and adrenal glands (CT, H30, H60, and H120). A total of 53, 1,310, and 1,501 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly identified in the blood (P < 0.05 and |fold change (FC)| >2), liver (P < 0.01, false discovery rate (FDR)–adjusted P = 0.05 and |FC| >2) and adrenal glands (P < 0.01, FDR-adjusted P = 0.05 and |FC| >2), respectively. Of these, four DEGs, namely Junb, P4ha1, Chordc1, and RT1-Bb, were shared among the three tissues in CT vs. H120 comparison. Functional enrichment analyses of the DEGs identified in the blood (CT vs. H120) revealed 12 biological processes (BPs) and 25 metabolic pathways significantly enriched (FDR = 0.05). In the liver, 133 BPs and three metabolic pathways were significantly detected by comparing CT vs. H30, H60, and H120. Furthermore, 237 BPs were significantly (FDR = 0.05) enriched in the adrenal glands, and no shared metabolic pathways were detected among the different heat-stressed groups of rats. Five and four expression patterns (P < 0.05) were uncovered by 73 and 91 shared DEGs in the liver and adrenal glands, respectively, over the different comparisons. Among these, 69 and 73 genes, respectively, were proposed as candidates for regulating heat stress response in rats. Finally, together with genome-wide association study (GWAS) results in cattle and phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS) analysis in humans, five genes (Slco1b2, Clu, Arntl, Fads1, and Npas2) were considered as being associated with heat stress response across mammal species. The datasets and findings of this study will contribute to a better understanding of heat stress response in mammals and to the development of effective approaches to mitigate heat stress response in livestock through breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhuan Dou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Angela Cánovas
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Luiz F Brito
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Ying Yu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Flavio S Schenkel
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Yachun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, MARA, National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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15
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Liu Y, Muniz MMM, Lam S, Song D, Zhang Y, Yin J, Cánovas A, Liu H. Gene expression profile of the taimen Hucho taimen in response to acute temperature changes. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2021; 38:100824. [PMID: 33743513 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2021.100824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The endangered cold-water fish species taimen (Hucho taimen) suffer acute temperature changes in culture and wild conditions. Understanding the effects of acute temperature changes on physiological processes of this species is essential for aquaculture practices and conservation. Liver transcriptomic profiles of the taimen (n = 24) exposed to acute temperature decrease (from 20 °C to 10 °C) and acute temperature increase (from 10 °C to 20 °C) was evaluated using high-throughput RNA-Sequencing. Samples were collected at day 0, 1, 7 and 35 in both treatments. Compared to day 0, the total numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the taimen after acute temperature decrease were 173, 226 and 42 at day 1, 7 and 35, respectively, and the total numbers of DEGs following acute temperature increase were 260, 253 and 282 at day 1, 7 and 35, respectively. Particularly, 14 key regulatory genes were commonly found between both acute temperature treatments. Functional analysis based on the commonly identified DEGs revealed important metabolic pathways related to metabolism and immune function, suggesting a specific response mechanism of taimen against cold and heat shock. The results may assist in developing management strategies for stress mediation caused by acute temperature changes in the taimen and other cold water fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin 150070, China; Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Immune Technology of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150070, China
| | - Maria Malane Magalhães Muniz
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Stephanie Lam
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G2W1, Canada
| | - Dan Song
- Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin 150070, China
| | - Yongquan Zhang
- Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin 150070, China
| | - Jiasheng Yin
- Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin 150070, China
| | - Angela Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph N1G2W1, Canada.
| | - Hongbai Liu
- Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Harbin 150070, China; Key Laboratory of Aquatic Animal Diseases and Immune Technology of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150070, China.
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16
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Lam S, Miglior F, Fonseca PAS, Gómez-Redondo I, Zeidan J, Suárez-Vega A, Schenkel F, Guan LL, Waters S, Stothard P, Cánovas A. Identification of functional candidate variants and genes for feed efficiency in Holstein and Jersey cattle breeds using RNA-sequencing. J Dairy Sci 2020; 104:1928-1950. [PMID: 33358171 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-18241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The identification of functional genetic variants and associated candidate genes linked to feed efficiency may help improve selection for feed efficiency in dairy cattle, providing economic and environmental benefits for the dairy industry. This study used RNA-sequencing data obtained from liver tissue from 9 Holstein cows [n = 5 low residual feed intake (RFI), n = 4 high RFI] and 10 Jersey cows (n = 5 low RFI, n = 5 high RFI), which were selected from a single population of 200 animals. Using RNA-sequencing, 3 analyses were performed to identify: (1) variants within low or high RFI Holstein cattle; (2) variants within low or high RFI Jersey cattle; and (3) variants within low or high RFI groups, which are common across both Holstein and Jersey cattle breeds. From each analysis, all variants were filtered for moderate, modifier, or high functional effect, and co-localized quantitative trait loci (QTL) classes, enriched biological processes, and co-localized genes related to these variants, were identified. The overlapping of the resulting genes co-localized with functional SNP from each analysis in both breeds for low or high RFI groups were compared. For the first two analyses, the total number of candidate genes associated with moderate, modifier, or high functional effect variants fixed within low or high RFI groups were 2,810 and 3,390 for Holstein and Jersey breeds, respectively. The major QTL classes co-localized with these variants included milk and reproduction QTL for the Holstein breed, and milk, production, and reproduction QTL for the Jersey breed. For the third analysis, the common variants across both Holstein and Jersey breeds, uniquely fixed within low or high RFI groups were identified, revealing a total of 86,209 and 111,126 functional variants in low and high RFI groups, respectively. Across all 3 analyses for low and high RFI cattle, 12 and 31 co-localized genes were overlapping, respectively. Among the overlapping genes across breeds, 9 were commonly detected in both the low and high RFI groups (INSRR, CSK, DYNC1H1, GAB1, KAT2B, RXRA, SHC1, TRRAP, PIK3CB), which are known to play a key role in the regulation of biological processes that have high metabolic demand and are related to cell growth and regeneration, metabolism, and immune function. The genes identified and their associated functional variants may serve as candidate genetic markers and can be implemented into breeding programs to help improve the selection for feed efficiency in dairy cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lam
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - F Miglior
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - P A S Fonseca
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - I Gómez-Redondo
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - J Zeidan
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - A Suárez-Vega
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - F Schenkel
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - L L Guan
- Department of Agriculture, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6H 2P5
| | - S Waters
- Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Grange, Dunsany, Ireland C15 PW93
| | - P Stothard
- Department of Agriculture, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6H 2P5
| | - A Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1.
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17
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Muniz MMM, Fonseca LFS, Dos Santos Silva DB, de Oliveira HR, Baldi F, Chardulo AL, Ferro JA, Cánovas A, de Albuquerque LG. Identification of novel mRNA isoforms associated with meat tenderness using RNA sequencing data in beef cattle. Meat Sci 2020; 173:108378. [PMID: 33248741 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2020.108378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI) are complementary methodologies used to measure beef tenderness. Longissimus thoracis samples from the 20 most extreme bulls (out of 80 bulls set) for WBSF (tender (n = 10) and tough (n = 10)) and MFI (high (n = 10) and low (n = 10)) traits were collected to perform transcriptomic analysis using RNA-Sequencing. All analysis were performed through CLC Genomics Workbench. A total of 39 and 27 transcripts for WBSF and MFI phenotypes were DE, respectively. The possible DE novel mRNA isoforms, for WBSF and MFI traits, are myosin encoders (e.g. MYL1 and MYL6). In addition, we identified potential mRNA isoforms related to genes affecting the speed fibers degradation during the meat aging process. The DE novel transcripts are transcripted by genes with biological functions related to oxidative process, energy production and striated muscle contraction. The results suggest that the identified mRNA isoforms could be used as potential candidate to select animals in order to improve meat tenderness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Malane Magalhães Muniz
- School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil; Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
| | | | | | - Hinayah Rojas de Oliveira
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Fernando Baldi
- School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil; National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil
| | - Artur Loyola Chardulo
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil; São Paulo State University (Unesp), College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Jesus Aparecido Ferro
- School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil; National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil
| | - Angela Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Lucia Galvão de Albuquerque
- School of Agricultural and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil; National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil.
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18
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Cai C, Li M, Zhang Y, Meng S, Yang Y, Gao P, Guo X, Cao G, Li B. Comparative Transcriptome Analyses of Longissimus thoracis Between Pig Breeds Differing in Muscle Characteristics. Front Genet 2020; 11:526309. [PMID: 33329687 PMCID: PMC7717936 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.526309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The two breeds, Mashen (MS; a northern China breed) and Large White (LW; a western lean breed) pigs, show important phenotypic differences in growth, adaptability, intramuscular fat (IMF) content, and energy metabolism since early developmental stage. The main aim of this study was the evaluation of longissimus thoracis muscle transcriptome profile of both genetic types to identify genes, pathways responsible for their differentiated phenotype. Longissimus thoracis of MS and LW pigs were sampled at 0 day (early stage), 90 days (middle stage), and 180 days (later stage) after birth. A total of 3,487 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified at the three time points. Sample clustering analysis revealed the slower growth rate of MS than LW pigs. Gene expression pattern analysis revealed that multicellular organism growth genes (GHSR, EZR, FOXS1, DRD2, SH3PXD2B, CSF1, and TSHR) were involved in the fast growth rate of LW pigs at early stage. Furthermore, DEGs (ACACA, ACSF3, OXSM, CBR4, and HSD17B8) functionally related to fatty acid synthesis revealed that IMF accumulation occurred around 90 and up to 180 days. These DEGs provided valuable resource to study the phenotypic difference in longissimus thoracis muscle between MS and LW pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunbo Cai
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Meng Li
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Yanwei Zhang
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Shan Meng
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Yang Yang
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Pengfei Gao
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiaohong Guo
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Guoqing Cao
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
| | - Bugao Li
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Shanxi, China
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Lam S, Zeidan J, Miglior F, Suárez-Vega A, Gómez-Redondo I, Fonseca PAS, Guan LL, Waters S, Cánovas A. Development and comparison of RNA-sequencing pipelines for more accurate SNP identification: practical example of functional SNP detection associated with feed efficiency in Nellore beef cattle. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:703. [PMID: 33032519 PMCID: PMC7545862 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07107-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Optimization of an RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) pipeline is critical to maximize power and accuracy to identify genetic variants, including SNPs, which may serve as genetic markers to select for feed efficiency, leading to economic benefits for beef production. This study used RNA-Seq data (GEO Accession ID: PRJEB7696 and PRJEB15314) from muscle and liver tissue, respectively, from 12 Nellore beef steers selected from 585 steers with residual feed intake measures (RFI; n = 6 low-RFI, n = 6 high-RFI). Three RNA-Seq pipelines were compared including multi-sample calling from i) non-merged samples; ii) merged samples by RFI group, iii) merged samples by RFI and tissue group. The RNA-Seq reads were aligned against the UMD3.1 bovine reference genome (release 94) assembly using STAR aligner. Variants were called using BCFtools and variant effect prediction (VeP) and functional annotation (ToppGene) analyses were performed. Results On average, total reads detected for Approach i) non-merged samples for liver and muscle, were 18,362,086.3 and 35,645,898.7, respectively. For Approach ii), merging samples by RFI group, total reads detected for each merged group was 162,030,705, and for Approach iii), merging samples by RFI group and tissues, was 324,061,410, revealing the highest read depth for Approach iii). Additionally, Approach iii) merging samples by RFI group and tissues, revealed the highest read depth per variant coverage (572.59 ± 3993.11) and encompassed the majority of localized positional genes detected by each approach. This suggests Approach iii) had optimized detection power, read depth, and accuracy of SNP calling, therefore increasing confidence of variant detection and reducing false positive detection. Approach iii) was then used to detect unique SNPs fixed within low- (12,145) and high-RFI (14,663) groups. Functional annotation of SNPs revealed positional candidate genes, for each RFI group (2886 for low-RFI, 3075 for high-RFI), which were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with immune and metabolic pathways. Conclusion The most optimized RNA-Seq pipeline allowed for more accurate identification of SNPs, associated positional candidate genes, and significantly associated metabolic pathways in muscle and liver tissues, providing insight on the underlying genetic architecture of feed efficiency in beef cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lam
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada
| | - J Zeidan
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada
| | - F Miglior
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada
| | - A Suárez-Vega
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada
| | - I Gómez-Redondo
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada.,Spanish National Institute for Agriculture and Food Research and Technology, Carretera de La Coruña, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - P A S Fonseca
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada
| | - L L Guan
- Department of Agriculture, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 2P5, Canada
| | - S Waters
- Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, C15 PW93, Ireland
| | - A Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G2W1, Canada.
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20
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Zappaterra M, Gioiosa S, Chillemi G, Zambonelli P, Davoli R. Muscle transcriptome analysis identifies genes involved in ciliogenesis and the molecular cascade associated with intramuscular fat content in Large White heavy pigs. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233372. [PMID: 32428048 PMCID: PMC7237010 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Intramuscular fat content (IMF) is a complex trait influencing the technological and sensorial features of meat products and determining pork quality. Thus, we aimed at analyzing through RNA-sequencing the Semimembranosus muscle transcriptome of Italian Large White pigs to study the gene networks associated with IMF deposition. Two groups of samples were used; each one was composed of six unrelated pigs with extreme and divergent IMF content (0.67 ± 0.09% in low IMF vs. 6.81 ± 1.17% in high IMF groups) that were chosen from 950 purebred individuals. Paired-end RNA sequences were aligned to Sus scrofa genome assembly 11.1 and gene counts were analyzed using WGCNA and DeSeq2 packages in R environment. Interestingly, among the 58 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), several were related to primary cilia organelles (such as Lebercilin 5 gene), in addition to the genes involved in the regulation of cell differentiation, in the control of RNA-processing, and G-protein and ERK signaling pathways. Together with cilia-related genes, we also found in high IMF pigs an over-expression of the Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2) gene, which in other animal species was found to be a regulator of ciliogenesis. Four WGCNA gene modules resulted significantly associated with IMF deposition: grey60 (P = 0.003), darkturquoise (P = 0.022), skyblue1 (P = 0.022), and lavenderblush3 (P = 0.030). The genes in the significant modules confirmed the results obtained for the DEGs, and the analysis with “cytoHubba” indicated genes controlling RNA splicing and cell differentiation as hub genes. Among the complex molecular processes affecting muscle fat depots, genes involved in primary cilia may have an important role, and the transcriptional reprogramming observed in high IMF pigs may be related to an FGF-related molecular cascade and to ciliogenesis, which in the literature have been associated with fibro-adipogenic precursor differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Zappaterra
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), Division of Animal Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Gioiosa
- Super Computing Applications and Innovation Department (SCAI), CINECA, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Chillemi
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies (IBIOM), CNR, Bari, Italy
| | - Paolo Zambonelli
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), Division of Animal Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberta Davoli
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), Division of Animal Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Interdepartmental Centre of Agri-food Industrial Research (CIRI-AGRO), University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
- * E-mail:
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21
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Use of gene expression profile to identify potentially relevant transcripts to myofibrillar fragmentation index trait. Funct Integr Genomics 2020; 20:609-619. [PMID: 32285226 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-020-00738-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI) is an indicative trait for meat tenderness. Longissimus thoracis muscle samples from the 20 most extreme bulls (out of 80 bulls set) for MFI (high (n = 10) and low (n = 10) groups) trait were used to perform transcriptomic analysis, using RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq). An average of 24.616 genes was expressed in the Nellore muscle transcriptome analysis. A total of 96 genes were differentially expressed (p value ≤ 0.001) between the two groups of divergent bulls for MFI. The HEBP2 and BDH1 genes were overexpressed in animals with high MFI. The MYBPH and MYL6, myosin encoders, were identified. The differentially expressed genes were related to increase mitochondria efficiency, especially in cells under oxidative stress conditions, and these also were related to zinc and calcium binding, membrane transport, and muscle constituent proteins, such as actin and myosin. Most of those genes were involved in metabolic pathways of oxidation-reduction, transport of lactate in the plasma membrane, and muscle contraction. This is the first study applying MFI phenotypes in transcriptomic studies to identify and understand differentially expressed genes for beef tenderness. These results suggest that differences detected in gene expression between high and low MFI animals are related to reactive mechanisms and structural components of oxidative fibers under the condition of cellular stress. Some genes may be selected as positional candidate genes to beef tenderness, MYL6, MYBPH, TRIM63, TRIM55, TRIOBP, and CHRNG genes. The use of MFI phenotypes could enhance results of meat tenderness studies.
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Transcriptomic Profiles of Monocyte-Derived Macrophages in Response to Escherichia coli is Associated with the Host Genetics. Sci Rep 2020; 10:271. [PMID: 31937813 PMCID: PMC6959288 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-57089-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) are a group of bactericidal molecules produced by macrophages in response to pathogens in a process called oxidative burst. Nitric oxide (NO-) is a member of RNS produced from arginine by inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) enzyme. The activity of iNOS and production of NO- by macrophages following stimulation is one of the indicators of macrophage polarization towards M1/proinflammatory. Production of NO- by bovine monocyte-derived macrophage (MDM) and mouse peritoneal macrophages has been shown to be strongly associated with host genetic with the heritability of 0.776 in bovine MDM and 0.8 in mouse peritoneal macrophages. However, the mechanism of genetic regulation of macrophage response has remained less explored. In the current study, the transcriptome of bovine MDMs was compared between two extreme phenotypes that had been classified as high and low responder based on NO- production. The results showed that 179 and 392 genes were differentially expressed (DE) between high and low responder groups at 3 and 18 hours after exposure to Escherichia coli, respectively. A set of 11 Transcription Factors (TFs) (STAT1, IRF7, SPI1, STAT4, IRF1, HIF1A, FOXO3, REL, NFAT5, HIC1, and IRF4) at 3 hours and a set of 13 TFs (STAT1, IRF1, HIF1A, STAT4, ATF4, TP63, EGR1, CDKN2A, RBL1, E2F1, PRDM1, GATA3, and IRF4) at 18 hours after exposure to E. coli were identified to be differentially regulated between the high and low responder phenotypes. These TFs were found to be divided into two clusters of inflammatory- and hypoxia-related TFs. Functional analysis revealed that some key canonical pathways such as phagocytosis, chemotaxis, antigen presentation, and cell-to-cell signalling are enriched among the over-expressed genes by high responder phenotype. Based on the results of this study, it was inferred that the functional characteristics of bovine MDMs are associated with NO-based classification. Since NO- production is strongly associated with host genetics, this study for the first time shows the distinct proinflammatory profiles of macrophages are controlled by the natural genetic polymorphism in an outbred population. In addition, the results suggest that genetics can be considered as a new dimension in the current model of macrophage polarization which is currently described by the combination of stimulants, only.
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Lind T, Lejonklou MH, Dunder L, Kushnir MM, Öhman-Mägi C, Larsson S, Melhus H, Lind PM. Developmental low-dose exposure to bisphenol A induces chronic inflammation, bone marrow fibrosis and reduces bone stiffness in female rat offspring only. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 177:108584. [PMID: 31326715 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Developmental exposure to low doses of the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) is known to alter bone tissue in young rodents, although how bone tissue is affected in aged animals is not well known. We have recently shown that low-dose developmental exposure to BPA increases procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) levels, a peptide formed during type 1 collagen synthesis, in plasma of 5-week-old female rat offspring while male offspring showed reduced bone size. OBJECTIVE To analyze offspring bone phenotype at 52 weeks of age and clarify whether the BPA-induced increase in P1NP levels at 5 weeks is an early sign of bone marrow fibrosis development. METHODS As in our 5-week study, pregnant Fischer 344 rats were exposed to BPA via drinking water corresponding to 0.5 μg/kg BW/day (BPA0.5), which is in the range of human daily exposure, or 50 μg/kg BW/day (BPA50) from gestational day 3.5 until postnatal day 22. Controls were given only vehicle. The offspring were sacrificed at 52 weeks of age. Bone effects were analyzed using peripheral quantitative and micro-computed tomography (microCT), 3-point bending test, plasma markers and histological examination. RESULTS Compared to a smaller bone size at 5 weeks, at the age of 52 weeks, femur size in male offspring had been normalized in developmentally BPA-exposed rats. The 52-week-old female offspring showed, like the 5-week-old siblings, higher plasma P1NP levels compared to controls but no general increasing bone growth or strength. However, 2 out of 14 BPA-exposed female offspring bones developed extremely thick cortices later in life, discovered by systematic in vivo microCT scanning during the study. This was not observed in male offspring or in female controls. Biomechanical testing revealed that both doses of developmental BPA exposure reduced femur stiffness only in female offspring. In addition, histological analysis showed an increased number of fibrotic lesions only in the bone marrow of female rat offspring developmentally exposed to BPA. In line with this, plasma markers of inflammation, Tnf (in BPA0.5) and Timp1 (in BPA50) were increased exclusively in female offspring. CONCLUSIONS Developmental BPA exposure at an environmentally relevant concentration resulted in female-specific effects on bone as well as on plasma biomarkers of collagen synthesis and inflammation. Even a dose approximately eight times lower than the current temporary EFSA human tolerable daily intake of 4 μg/kg BW/day, appeared to induce bone stiffness reduction, bone marrow fibrosis and chronic inflammation in female rat offspring later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacogenomics and Osteoporosis, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Margareta H Lejonklou
- Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Linda Dunder
- Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Mark M Kushnir
- ARUP Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | | | - Sune Larsson
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Håkan Melhus
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Clinical Pharmacogenomics and Osteoporosis, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - P Monica Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Zhang Z, Chen Z, Ye S, He Y, Huang S, Yuan X, Chen Z, Zhang H, Li J. Genome-Wide Association Study for Reproductive Traits in a Duroc Pig Population. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9100732. [PMID: 31561612 PMCID: PMC6826494 DOI: 10.3390/ani9100732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Reproductive traits are economically important in the pig industry, and it is critical to explore their underlying genetic architecture. Hence, four reproductive traits, including litter size at birth (LSB), litter weight at birth (LWB), litter size at weaning (LSW), and litter weight at weaning (LWW), were examined. Through a genome-wide association study in a Duroc pig herd, several candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genes were found potentially associated with the traits of interest. These findings help to understand the genetic basis of porcine reproductive traits and could be applied in pig breeding programs. Abstract In the pig industry, reproductive traits constantly influence the production efficiency. To identify markers and candidate genes underlying porcine reproductive traits, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed in a Duroc pig population. In total, 1067 pigs were genotyped using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips, and four reproductive traits, including litter size at birth (LSB), litter weight at birth (LWB), litter size at weaning (LSW), and litter weight at weaning (LWW), were examined. The results showed that 20 potential SNPs reached the level of suggestive significance and were associated with these traits of interest. Several important candidate genes, including TXN2, KCNA1, ENSSSCG00000003546, ZDHHC18, MAP2K6, BICC1, FAM135B, EPHB2, SEMA4D, ST3GAL1, KCTD3, FAM110A, TMEM132D, TBX3, and FAM110A, were identified and might compose the underlying genetic architecture of porcine reproductive traits. These findings help to understand the genetic basis of porcine reproductive traits and provide important information for molecular breeding in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, and Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zitao Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, and Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Shaopan Ye
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, and Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yingting He
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, and Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Shuwen Huang
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, and Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiaolong Yuan
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, and Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Zanmou Chen
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, and Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, and Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jiaqi Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, and Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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Asselstine V, Miglior F, Suárez-Vega A, Fonseca PAS, Mallard B, Karrow N, Islas-Trejo A, Medrano JF, Cánovas A. Genetic mechanisms regulating the host response during mastitis. J Dairy Sci 2019; 102:9043-9059. [PMID: 31421890 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-16504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Mastitis is a very costly and common disease in the dairy industry. The study of the transcriptome from healthy and mastitic milk somatic cell samples using RNA-Sequencing technology can provide measurements of transcript levels associated with the immune response to the infection. The objective of this study was to characterize the Holstein milk somatic cell transcriptome from 6 cows to determine host response to intramammary infections. RNA-Sequencing was performed on 2 samples from each cow from 2 separate quarters, one classified as healthy (n = 6) and one as mastitic (n = 6). In total, 449 genes were differentially expressed between the healthy and mastitic quarters (false discovery rate <0.05, fold change >±2). Among the differentially expressed genes, the most expressed genes based on reads per kilobase per million mapped reads (RPKM) in the healthy group were associated with milk components (CSN2 and CSN3), and in the mastitic group they were associated with immunity (B2M and CD74). In silico functional analysis was performed using the list of 449 differentially expressed genes, which identified 36 significantly enriched metabolic pathways (false discovery rate <0.01), some of which were associated with the immune system, such as cytokine-cytokine interaction and cell adhesion molecules. Seven functional candidate genes were selected, based on the criteria of being highly differentially expressed between healthy and mastitic groups and significantly enriched in metabolic pathways that are relevant to the inflammatory process (GLYCAM1, B2M, CD74, BoLA-DRA, FCER1G, SDS, and NFKBIA). Last, we identified the differentially expressed genes that are located in quantitative trait locus regions previously known to be associated with mastitis, specifically clinical mastitis, somatic cell count, and somatic cell score. It was concluded that multiple genes within quantitative trait locus regions could potentially affect host response to mastitis-causing agents, making some cows more susceptible to intramammary infections. The identification of potential candidate genes with functional, statistical, biological, and positional relevance associated with host defense to infection will contribute to a better understanding of the underlying genetic architecture associated with mastitis. This in turn will improve the sustainability of agricultural practices by facilitating the selection of cows with improved host defense leading to increased resistance to mastitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Asselstine
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - F Miglior
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - A Suárez-Vega
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - P A S Fonseca
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - B Mallard
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - N Karrow
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - A Islas-Trejo
- Department of Animal Science, University of California-Davis, Davis 95616
| | - J F Medrano
- Department of Animal Science, University of California-Davis, Davis 95616
| | - A Cánovas
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1.
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Chen Z, Ye S, Teng J, Diao S, Yuan X, Chen Z, Zhang H, Li J, Zhang Z. Genome-wide association studies for the number of animals born alive and dead in duroc pigs. Theriogenology 2019; 139:36-42. [PMID: 31362194 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Litter size is one of the most important economic traits for pig production as it is directly related to the production efficiency. As an important litter size trait in pigs, the number of piglets born alive at birth (NBA) receives widespread interests in the pig industry. However, traits of piglets born dead, including the number of stillborn piglets (NS) and the piglets mummified at birth (NM) should be noted to explain the loss of reproduction. Herein, in the present study, a total of 803 producing sows were sampled and 2807 farrowing records for NBA, NM, and NS traits were collected in a Duroc swine population. Subsequently, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed for NBA, NS and NM in parity groups 1 to 5. In total, 10 putative regions were found associated with these traits. After stepwise conditional analyses around the putative regions, eight independent signals were ultimately identified for NBA, NS, and NM, and there were seven promising candidate genes related to these traits, including ARID1A, RXRG, NFATC4, ABTB2, GRAMD1B, NDRG1, and APC. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the significant genetic causes of piglets born alive and dead, and could have a positive effect on pig production efficiency and economic profits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zitao Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Shaopan Ye
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jinyan Teng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Shuqi Diao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Xiaolong Yuan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Zanmou Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jiaqi Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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27
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Core transcriptional signatures of phase change in the migratory locust. Protein Cell 2019; 10:883-901. [PMID: 31292921 PMCID: PMC6881432 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-019-0648-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity plays fundamental roles in successful adaptation of animals in response to environmental variations. Here, to reveal the transcriptome reprogramming in locust phase change, a typical phenotypic plasticity, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of multiple phase-related transcriptomic datasets of the migratory locust. We defined PhaseCore genes according to their contribution to phase differentiation by the adjustment for confounding principal components analysis algorithm (AC-PCA). Compared with other genes, PhaseCore genes predicted phase status with over 87.5% accuracy and displayed more unique gene attributes including the faster evolution rate, higher CpG content and higher specific expression level. Then, we identified 20 transcription factors (TFs) named PhaseCoreTF genes that are associated with the regulation of PhaseCore genes. Finally, we experimentally verified the regulatory roles of three representative TFs (Hr4, Hr46, and grh) in phase change by RNAi. Our findings revealed that core transcriptional signatures are involved in the global regulation of locust phase changes, suggesting a potential common mechanism underlying phenotypic plasticity in insects. The expression and network data are accessible in an online resource called LocustMine (http://www.locustmine.org:8080/locustmine).
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28
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Muñoz M, García-Casco JM, Caraballo C, Fernández-Barroso MÁ, Sánchez-Esquiliche F, Gómez F, Rodríguez MDC, Silió L. Identification of Candidate Genes and Regulatory Factors Underlying Intramuscular Fat Content Through Longissimus Dorsi Transcriptome Analyses in Heavy Iberian Pigs. Front Genet 2018; 9:608. [PMID: 30564273 PMCID: PMC6288315 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most important determinants of meat quality is the intramuscular fat (IMF) content. The development of high-throughput techniques as RNA-seq allows identifying gene pathways and networks with a differential expression (DE) between groups of animals divergent for a particular trait. The Iberian pig is characterized by having an excellent meat quality and a high content of intramuscular fat. The objectives of the present study were to analyze the longissimus dorsi transcriptome of purebred Iberian pigs divergent for their IMF breeding value to identify differential expressed genes and regulatory factors affecting gene expression. RNA-seq allowed identifying ∼10,000 of the 25,878 annotated genes in the analyzed samples. In addition to this, 42.46% of the identified transcripts corresponded to newly predicted isoforms. Differential expression analyses revealed a total of 221 DE annotated genes and 116 DE new isoforms. Functional analyses identified an enrichment of overexpressed genes involved in lipid metabolism (FASN, SCD, ELOVL6, DGAT2, PLIN1, CIDEC, and ADIPOQ) in animals with a higher content of IMF and an enrichment of overexpressed genes related with myogenesis and adipogenesis (EGR1, EGR2, EGR3, JUNB, FOSB, and SEMA4D) in the animals with a lower content of IMF. In addition to this, potential regulatory elements of these DE genes were identified. Co-expression networks analyses revealed six long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) (ALDBSSCG0000002079, ALDBSSCG0000002093, ALDBSSCG0000003455, ALDBSSCG0000004244, ALDBSSCG0000005525, and ALDBSSCG0000006849) co-expressed with SEMA4D and FOSB genes and one (ALDBSSCG0000004790) with SCD, ELOVL6, DGAT2, PLIN1, and CIDEC. Analyses of the regulatory impact factors (RIFs) revealed 301 transcriptionally regulatory factors involved in expression differences, with five of them involved in adipogenesis (ARID5B, CREB1, VDR, ATF6, and SP1) and other three taking part of myogenesis and development of skeletal muscle (ATF3, KLF11, and MYF6). The results obtained provide relevant insights about the genetic mechanisms underlying IMF content in purebred Iberian pigs and a set of candidate genes and regulatory factors for further identification of polymorphisms susceptible of being incorporated in a selection program.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Muñoz
- Centro I+D en Cerdo Ibérico INIA-Zafra, Zafra, Spain.,Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan María García-Casco
- Centro I+D en Cerdo Ibérico INIA-Zafra, Zafra, Spain.,Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Caraballo
- Centro I+D en Cerdo Ibérico INIA-Zafra, Zafra, Spain.,Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Fernández-Barroso
- Centro I+D en Cerdo Ibérico INIA-Zafra, Zafra, Spain.,Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - María Del Carmen Rodríguez
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Silió
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Madrid, Spain
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