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Tang Y, Zhang J, Li W, Liu X, Chen S, Mi S, Yang J, Teng J, Fang L, Yu Y. Identification and characterization of whole blood gene expression and splicing quantitative trait loci during early to mid-lactation of dairy cattle. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:445. [PMID: 38711039 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10346-7] [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: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Characterization of regulatory variants (e.g., gene expression quantitative trait loci, eQTL; gene splicing QTL, sQTL) is crucial for biologically interpreting molecular mechanisms underlying loci associated with complex traits. However, regulatory variants in dairy cattle, particularly in specific biological contexts (e.g., distinct lactation stages), remain largely unknown. In this study, we explored regulatory variants in whole blood samples collected during early to mid-lactation (22-150 days after calving) of 101 Holstein cows and analyzed them to decipher the regulatory mechanisms underlying complex traits in dairy cattle. RESULTS We identified 14,303 genes and 227,705 intron clusters expressed in the white blood cells of 101 cattle. The average heritability of gene expression and intron excision ratio explained by cis-SNPs is 0.28 ± 0.13 and 0.25 ± 0.13, respectively. We identified 23,485 SNP-gene expression pairs and 18,166 SNP-intron cluster pairs in dairy cattle during early to mid-lactation. Compared with the 2,380,457 cis-eQTLs reported to be present in blood in the Cattle Genotype-Tissue Expression atlas (CattleGTEx), only 6,114 cis-eQTLs (P < 0.05) were detected in the present study. By conducting colocalization analysis between cis-e/sQTL and the results of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) from four traits, we identified a cis-e/sQTL (rs109421300) of the DGAT1 gene that might be a key marker in early to mid-lactation for milk yield, fat yield, protein yield, and somatic cell score (PP4 > 0.6). Finally, transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) revealed certain genes (e.g., FAM83H and TBC1D17) whose expression in white blood cells was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with complex traits. CONCLUSIONS This study investigated the genetic regulation of gene expression and alternative splicing in dairy cows during early to mid-lactation and provided new insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying complex traits of economic importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjie Tang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jinning Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xueqin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Siqian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Siyuan Mi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jinyan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jinyan Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark.
| | - Ying Yu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Martins FB, Aono AH, Moraes ADCL, Ferreira RCU, Vilela MDM, Pessoa-Filho M, Rodrigues-Motta M, Simeão RM, de Souza AP. Genome-wide family prediction unveils molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of agronomic traits in Urochloa ruziziensis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1303417. [PMID: 38148869 PMCID: PMC10749977 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1303417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forage grasses, particularly those belonging to the Urochloa genus, play a crucial role in cattle production and serve as the main food source for animals in tropical and subtropical regions. The majority of these species are apomictic and tetraploid, highlighting the significance of U. ruziziensis, a sexual diploid species that can be tetraploidized for use in interspecific crosses with apomictic species. As a means to support breeding programs, our study investigates the feasibility of genome-wide family prediction in U. ruziziensis families to predict agronomic traits. Fifty half-sibling families were assessed for green matter yield, dry matter yield, regrowth capacity, leaf dry matter, and stem dry matter across different clippings established in contrasting seasons with varying available water capacity. Genotyping was performed using a genotyping-by-sequencing approach based on DNA samples from family pools. In addition to conventional genomic prediction methods, machine learning and feature selection algorithms were employed to reduce the necessary number of markers for prediction and enhance predictive accuracy across phenotypes. To explore the regulation of agronomic traits, our study evaluated the significance of selected markers for prediction using a tree-based approach, potentially linking these regions to quantitative trait loci (QTLs). In a multiomic approach, genes from the species transcriptome were mapped and correlated to those markers. A gene coexpression network was modeled with gene expression estimates from a diverse set of U. ruziziensis genotypes, enabling a comprehensive investigation of molecular mechanisms associated with these regions. The heritabilities of the evaluated traits ranged from 0.44 to 0.92. A total of 28,106 filtered SNPs were used to predict phenotypic measurements, achieving a mean predictive ability of 0.762. By employing feature selection techniques, we could reduce the dimensionality of SNP datasets, revealing potential genotype-phenotype associations. The functional annotation of genes near these markers revealed associations with auxin transport and biosynthesis of lignin, flavonol, and folic acid. Further exploration with the gene coexpression network uncovered associations with DNA metabolism, stress response, and circadian rhythm. These genes and regions represent important targets for expanding our understanding of the metabolic regulation of agronomic traits and offer valuable insights applicable to species breeding. Our work represents an innovative contribution to molecular breeding techniques for tropical forages, presenting a viable marker-assisted breeding approach and identifying target regions for future molecular studies on these agronomic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Bitencourt Martins
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Hild Aono
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aline da Costa Lima Moraes
- Department of Plant Biology, Biology Institute, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marco Pessoa-Filho
- Embrapa Cerrados, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Rosangela Maria Simeão
- Embrapa Gado de Corte, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Anete Pereira de Souza
- Center for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Plant Biology, Biology Institute, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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Zhou S, Chen M, Meng M, Ma N, Xie W, Shen X, Li Z, Chang G. Subclinical ketosis leads to lipid metabolism disorder by downregulating the expression of acetyl-coenzyme A acetyltransferase 2 in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 2023; 106:9892-9909. [PMID: 37690731 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23602] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Ketosis is a metabolic disease that often occurs in dairy cows postpartum and is a result of disordered lipid metabolism. Acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) acetyltransferase 2 (ACAT2) is important for balancing cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) metabolism; however, its role in subclinical ketotic dairy cows is unclear. This study aimed to explore the potential correlation between ACAT2 and lipid metabolism disorders in subclinical ketotic cows through in vitro and in vivo experiments. In the in vivo experiment, liver tissue and blood samples were collected from healthy cows (CON, n = 6, β-hydroxybutyric acid [BHBA] concentration <1.0 mM) and subclinical ketotic cows (subclinical ketosis [SCK], n = 6, BHBA concentration = 1.2-3.0 mM) to explore the effect of ACAT2 on lipid metabolism disorders in SCK cows. For the in vitro experiment, bovine hepatocytes (BHEC) were used as the model. The effects of BHBA on ACAT2 and lipid metabolism were investigated via BHBA concentration gradient experiments. Subsequently, the relation between ACAT2 and lipid metabolism disorder was explored by transfection with siRNA of ACAT2. Transcriptomics showed an upregulation of differentially expression genes during lipid metabolism and significantly lower ACAT2 mRNA levels in the SCK group. Compared with the CON group in vivo, the SCK group showed significantly higher expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and sterol regulator element binding protein 1c (SREBP1c) and significantly lower expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1A (CPT1A), sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 2 (SREBP2), and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR). Moreover, the SCK group had a significantly higher liver TG content and significantly lower plasma total cholesterol (TC) and free cholesterol content. These results were indicative of TG and cholesterol metabolism disorders in the liver of dairy cows with SCK. Additionally, the SCK group showed an increased expression of perilipin-2 (PLIN2), decreased expression of apolipoprotein B, and decreased plasma concentration of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) and low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C) by downregulating ACAT2, which indicated an accumulation of TG in liver. In vitro experiments showed that BHBA induced an increase in the TG content of BHEC, decreased content TC, increased expression of PPARγ and SREBP1c, and decreased expression of PPARα, CPT1A, SREBP2, and HMGCR. Additionally, BHBA increased the expression of PLIN2 in BHEC, decreased the expression and fluorescence intensity of ACAT2, and decreased the VLDL and LDL-C contents. Furthermore, silencing ACAT2 expression increased the TG content; decreased the TC, VLDL, and LDL-C contents; decreased the expression of HMGCR and SREBP2; and increased the expression of SREBP1c; but had no effect on the expression of PLIN2. These results suggest that ACAT2 downregulation in BHEC promotes TG accumulation and inhibits cholesterol synthesis, leading to TG and cholesterol metabolic disorders. In conclusion, ACAT2 downregulation in the SCK group inhibited cholesterol synthesis, increased TG synthesis, and reduced the contents of VLDL and LDL-C, eventually leading to disordered TG and cholesterol metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shendong Zhou
- Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P. R. China
| | - Mengru Chen
- Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P. R. China
| | - Meijuan Meng
- Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P. R. China
| | - Nana Ma
- Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P. R. China
| | - Wan Xie
- Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P. R. China
| | - Xiangzhen Shen
- Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P. R. China
| | - Zhixin Li
- Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan 750001, Ningxia, P. R. China
| | - Guangjun Chang
- Ministry of Education Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, P. R. China; Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Yinchuan 750001, Ningxia, P. R. China.
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Zhai B, Xie SC, Zhang J, He JJ, Zhu XQ. Dynamic RNA profiles in the small intestinal epithelia of cats after Toxoplasma gondii infection. Infect Dis Poverty 2023; 12:68. [PMID: 37491273 PMCID: PMC10367386 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-023-01121-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Felids are the only definitive hosts of Toxoplasma gondii. However, the biological features of the feline small intestine following T. gondii infection are poorly understood. We investigated the changes in the expression of RNAs (including mRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs) in the small intestinal epithelia of cats following T. gondii infection to improve our understanding of the life cycle of T. gondii and cat responses to T. gondii infection. METHODS Fifteen cats were randomly assigned to five groups, and the infection groups were inoculated with 600 tissue cysts of the T. gondii Pru strain by gavage. The small intestinal epithelia of cats were collected at 6, 10, 14, and 30 days post infection (DPI). Using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we investigated the changes in RNA expression. The expression levels of differentially expressed (DE) genes and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) identified by RNA-seq were validated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Differential expression was determined using the DESeq R package. RESULTS In total, 207 annotated lncRNAs, 20,552 novel lncRNAs, 3342 novel circRNAs and 19,409 mRNAs were identified. Among these, 70 to 344 DE mRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs were detected, and the post-cleavage binding sites between 725 ncRNAs and 2082 miRNAs were predicted. Using the co-location method, we predicted that a total of 235 lncRNAs target 1044 protein-coding genes, while the results of co-expression analysis revealed that 174 lncRNAs target 2097 mRNAs. Pathway enrichment analyses of the genes targeted by ncRNAs suggested that most ncRNAs were significantly enriched in immune or diseases-related pathways. NcRNA regulatory networks revealed that a single ncRNA could be directly or indirectly regulated by multiple genes or ncRNAs that could influence the immune response of cats. Co-expression analysis showed that 242 circRNAs, mainly involved in immune responses, were significantly associated with T. gondii infection. In contrast, 1352 protein coding RNAs, mainly involved in nucleic acid process/repair pathways or oocyte development pathways, were negatively associated with T. gondii infection. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to reveal the expression profiles of circRNAs, lncRNAs and mRNAs in the cat small intestine following T. gondii infection and will facilitate the elucidation of the role of ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of T. gondii infection in its definitive host, thereby facilitating the development of novel intervention strategies against T. gondii infection in humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bintao Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, Gansu, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi-Chen Xie
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, Shanxi, People's Republic of China
- Research Center for Parasites & Vectors, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, 730050, Gansu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Jun He
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health of Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, Shanxi, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health of Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.
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Zhao X, Luo H, Lu H, Ma L, Li Y, Dou J, Zhang J, Ma Y, Li J, Wang Y. RNA-Seq Analysis of Peripheral Whole Blood from Dairy Bulls with High and Low Antibody-Mediated Immune Responses-A Preliminary Study. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2208. [PMID: 37444006 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132208] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Enhancing the immune response through breeding is regarded as an effective strategy for improving animal health, as dairy cattle identified as high immune responders are reported to have a decreased prevalence of economically significant diseases. The identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with immune responses might be an effective tool for breeding healthy dairy cattle. In this study, antibody-mediated immune responses (AMIRs) were induced by the immunization of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) in six Chinese Holstein dairy bulls divided into high- and low-AMIR groups based on their HEWL antibody level. Then, RNA-seq was applied to explore the transcriptome of peripheral whole blood between the two comparison groups. As a result, several major upregulated and downregulated genes were identified and attributed to the regulation of locomotion, tissue development, immune response, and detoxification. In addition, the result of the KEGG pathway analysis revealed that most DEGs were enriched in pathways related to disease, inflammation, and immune response, including antigen processing and presentation, Staphylococcus aureus infection, intestinal immune network for IgA production, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and complement and coagulation cascades. Moreover, six genes (BOLA-DQA5, C5, CXCL2, HBA, LTF, and COL1A1) were validated using RT-qPCR, which may provide information for genomic selection in breeding programs. These results broaden the knowledge of the immune response mechanism in dairy bulls, which has strong implications for breeding cattle with an enhanced AMIR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuxin Zhao
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 23788, Gongyebei Road, Jinan 250100, China
- Shandong Ox Livestock Breeding Co., Ltd., Jinan 250100, China
| | - Hanpeng Luo
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Haibo Lu
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- Beijing Consortium for Innovative Bio-Breeding, Beijing 101206, China
| | - Longgang Ma
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yanqin Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 23788, Gongyebei Road, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Jinhuan Dou
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Junxing Zhang
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Yun Ma
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Jianbin Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No. 23788, Gongyebei Road, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yachun Wang
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
- Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture of China, National Engineering Laboratory of Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Dai L, Liu Z, Guo L, Chai Y, Yang Y, Wang Y, Ma Y, Shi C, Zhang W. Multi-Tissue Transcriptome Study of Innate Immune Gene Expression Profiling Reveals Negative Energy Balance Altered the Defense and Promoted System Inflammation of Dairy Cows. Vet Sci 2023; 10:vetsci10020107. [PMID: 36851411 PMCID: PMC9959304 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10020107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Negative energy balance (NEB) during the perinatal period leads to metabolic and immunological disorders in dairy cows, resulting in systemic responses and inflammation. The innate immune system is crucial for the host's protection and inflammatory response. However, systematic research is still lacking on how NEB affects the innate immune system to alter the 'host defense capability and inflammatory response. In this investigation, raw transcriptome data of adipose, blood, endometrial, hypothalamus, and liver tissues were downloaded from a public database, cleaned, aligned, quantified, and batch-corrected. The innate immune gene list was retrieved from innateDB, followed by the expression matrix of innate immune genes in various tissues for differential expression analysis, principle component analysis (PCA), and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Under the effect of NEB, adipose tissue had the most differentially expressed genes, which were predominantly up-regulated, whereas blood GSEA had the most enriched biological processes, which were predominantly down-regulated. The gene sets shared by different tissues, which are predominantly involved in biological processes associated with defense responses and inflammation, were dramatically down-regulated in endometrial tissues and highly up-regulated in other tissues. Under the impact of NEB, LBP, PTX3, S100A12, and LCN2 play essential roles in metabolism and immunological control. In conclusion, NEB can downregulate the defensive response of innate immune genes in endometrial, upregulate the immune and inflammatory response of other tissues, activate the host defense response, and increase the systemic inflammatory response. The analysis of the effects of NEB on innate immune genes from the multiple tissues analysis provides new insights into the crosstalk between metabolism and immunity and also provides potential molecular targets for disease diagnosis and disease resistance breeding in dairy cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingli Dai
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
- Veterinary Research Institute, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot 010031, China
| | - Zaixia Liu
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Lili Guo
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Yuan Chai
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Yanda Yang
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Yu Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Yanfen Ma
- Veterinary Research Institute, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot 010031, China
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Caixia Shi
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
- Correspondence: (C.S.); (W.Z.)
| | - Wenguang Zhang
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
- Inner Mongolia Engineering Research Center of Genomic Big Data for Agriculture, Hohhot 010018, China
- College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
- Correspondence: (C.S.); (W.Z.)
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Das AC, Foroutan A, Qian B, Hosseini Naghavi N, Shabani K, Shooshtari P. Single-Cell Chromatin Accessibility Data Combined with GWAS Improves Detection of Relevant Cell Types in 59 Complex Phenotypes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911456. [PMID: 36232752 PMCID: PMC9570273 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several disease risk variants reside on non-coding regions of DNA, particularly in open chromatin regions of specific cell types. Identifying the cell types relevant to complex traits through the integration of chromatin accessibility data and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data can help to elucidate the mechanisms of these traits. In this study, we created a collection of associations between the combinations of chromatin accessibility data (bulk and single-cell) with an array of 201 complex phenotypes. We integrated the GWAS data of these 201 phenotypes with bulk chromatin accessibility data from 137 cell types measured by DNase-I hypersensitive sequencing and found significant results (FDR adjusted p-value ≤ 0.05) for at least one cell type in 21 complex phenotypes, such as atopic dermatitis, Graves’ disease, and body mass index. With the integration of single-cell chromatin accessibility data measured by an assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (scATAC-seq), taken from 111 adult and 111 fetal cell types, the resolution of association was magnified, enabling the identification of further cell types. This resulted in the identification of significant correlations (FDR adjusted p-value ≤ 0.05) between 15 categories of single-cell subtypes and 59 phenotypes ranging from autoimmune diseases like Graves’ disease to cardiovascular traits like diastolic/systolic blood pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akash Chandra Das
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, India
| | - Aidin Foroutan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
| | - Brian Qian
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
| | - Nader Hosseini Naghavi
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Kayvan Shabani
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Parisa Shooshtari
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Schettini GP, Peripolli E, Alexandre PA, dos Santos WB, Pereira ASC, de Albuquerque LG, Baldi F, Curi RA. Transcriptome Profile Reveals Genetic and Metabolic Mechanisms Related to Essential Fatty Acid Content of Intramuscular Longissimus thoracis in Nellore Cattle. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12050471. [PMID: 35629975 PMCID: PMC9144777 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12050471] [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: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Beef is a source of essential fatty acids (EFA), linoleic (LA) and alpha-linolenic (ALA) acids, which protect against inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases in humans. However, the intramuscular EFA profile in cattle is a complex and polygenic trait. Thus, this study aimed to identify potential regulatory genes of the essential fatty acid profile in Longissimus thoracis of Nellore cattle finished in feedlot. Forty-four young bulls clustered in four groups of fifteen animals with extreme values for each FA were evaluated through differentially expressed genes (DEG) analysis and two co-expression methodologies (WGCNA and PCIT). We highlight the ECHS1, IVD, ASB5, and ERLIN1 genes and the TF NFIA, indicated in both FA. Moreover, we associate the NFYA, NFYB, PPARG, FASN, and FADS2 genes with LA, and the RORA and ELOVL5 genes with ALA. Furthermore, the functional enrichment analysis points out several terms related to FA metabolism. These findings contribute to our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying the beef EFA profile in Nellore cattle finished in feedlot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Pimenta Schettini
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil; (W.B.d.S.); (L.G.d.A.); (F.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Elisa Peripolli
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-900, SP, Brazil; (E.P.); (A.S.C.P.)
| | - Pâmela Almeida Alexandre
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Agriculture & Food, St Lucia, QLD 4067, Australia;
| | - Wellington Bizarria dos Santos
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil; (W.B.d.S.); (L.G.d.A.); (F.B.)
| | - Angélica Simone Cravo Pereira
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-900, SP, Brazil; (E.P.); (A.S.C.P.)
| | - Lúcia Galvão de Albuquerque
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil; (W.B.d.S.); (L.G.d.A.); (F.B.)
| | - Fernando Baldi
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil; (W.B.d.S.); (L.G.d.A.); (F.B.)
| | - Rogério Abdallah Curi
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-681, SP, Brazil;
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Schettini GP, Peripolli E, Alexandre PA, Dos Santos WB, da Silva Neto JB, Pereira ASC, de Albuquerque LG, Curi RA, Baldi F. Transcriptomic profile of longissimus thoracis associated with fatty acid content in Nellore beef cattle. Anim Genet 2022; 53:264-280. [PMID: 35384007 DOI: 10.1111/age.13199] [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: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The beef fatty acid (FA) profile has the potential to impact human health, and displays polygenic and complex features. This study aimed to identify the transcriptomic FA profile in the longissimus thoracis muscle in Nellore beef cattle finished in feedlot. Forty-four young bulls were sampled to assess the beef FA profile by considering 14 phenotypes and including differentially expressed genes (DEG), co-expressed (COE), and differentially co-expressed genes (DCO) analyses. All samples (n = 44) were used for COE analysis, whereas 30 samples with extreme phenotypes for the beef FA profile were used for DEG and DCO. A total of 912 DEG were identified, and the polyunsaturated (n = 563) and unsaturated ω-3 (n = 346) FA sums groups were the most frequently observed. The COE analyses identified three modules, of which the blue module (n = 1776) was correlated with eight of 14 FA phenotypes. Also, 759 DCO genes were listed, and the oleic acid (n = 358) and monounsaturated fatty acids sum (n = 120) were the most frequent. Furthermore, 243 and 13, 319 and seven, and 173 and 12 gene ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were enriched respectively for the DEG, COE, and DCO analyses. Combining the results, we highlight the unexplored GIPC2, ASB5, and PPP5C genes in cattle. Besides LIPE and INSIG2 genes in COE modules, the ACSL3, ECI1, DECR2, FITM1, and SDHB genes were signaled in at least two analyses. These findings contribute to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying the beef FA profile in Nellore beef cattle finished in feedlot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Pimenta Schettini
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - Elisa Peripolli
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (FMVZ), University of São Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, Brazil
| | - Pâmela Almeida Alexandre
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Agriculture & Food, Birsbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - João Barbosa da Silva Neto
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | | | - Lúcia Galvão de Albuquerque
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
| | - Rogério Abdallah Curi
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (FMVZ), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Fernando Baldi
- School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences (FCAV), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal, Brazil
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10
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Xu H, Sun W, Pei S, Li W, Li F, Yue X. Identification of Key Genes Related to Postnatal Testicular Development Based on Transcriptomic Data of Testis in Hu Sheep. Front Genet 2022; 12:773695. [PMID: 35145544 PMCID: PMC8822165 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.773695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The selection of testis size can improve the reproductive capacity of livestock used for artificial insemination and has been considered as an important strategy for accelerating the breeding process. Although much work has been done to investigate the mechanisms of testis development in various species, there is little information available in regard to the differences in transcriptomic profiling of sheep testes at different developmental stages. In this work, we aimed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by RNA-Seq in sheep during different growth stages, including 0 month old (infant, M0), 3 months old (puberty, M3), 6 months old (sexual maturity, M6) and 12 months old (body maturity, M12). A total of 4,606 (2,381 up and 2,225 down), 7,500 (4,368 up and 3,132 down), 15 (8 up and seven down) DEGs were identified in M3_vs_M0, M6_vs_M3, and M12_vs_M6 comparison, respectively. Of which, a number of genes were continuously up-regulated and down-regulated with testicular development, including ODF3, ZPBP1, PKDREJ, MYBL1, PDGFA, IGF1, LH, INSL3, VIM, AMH, INHBA, COL1A1, COL1A2, and INHA. GO analysis illustrated that DEGs were mainly involved in testis development and spermatogenesis. KEGG analysis identified several important pathways and verified several reproduction-associated DEGs such as COL1A1, COL1A2, PDGFA, and IGF1. In addition, two gene modules highly associated with testis development and core genes with testis size were identified using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), including hub genes positively associated with testis size such as RANBP9, DNAH17, SPATA4, CIB4 and SPEM1, and those negatively associated with testis size such as CD81, CSK, PDGFA, VIM, and INHBA. This study comprehensively identified key genes related to sheep testicular development, which may provide potential insights for understanding male fertility and better guide in animal breeding.
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11
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de Araujo Neto FR, dos Santos JCG, da Silva Arce CD, Borquis RRA, dos Santos DJA, Guimarães KC, do Nascimento AV, de Oliveira HN, Tonhati H. Genomic study of the resilience of buffalo cows to a negative energy balance. J Appl Genet 2022; 63:379-388. [DOI: 10.1007/s13353-021-00680-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Wang L, Liu Y, Gao L, Yang X, Zhang X, Xie S, Chen M, Wang YH, Li J, Shen Y. Identification of Candidate Forage Yield Genes in Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor L.) Using Integrated Genome-Wide Association Studies and RNA-Seq. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:788433. [PMID: 35087554 PMCID: PMC8787639 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.788433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Genetic dissection of forage yield traits is critical to the development of sorghum as a forage crop. In the present study, association mapping was performed with 85,585 SNP markers on four forage yield traits, namely plant height (PH), tiller number (TN), stem diameter (SD), and fresh weight per plant (FW) among 245 sorghum accessions evaluated in four environments. A total of 338 SNPs or quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were associated with the four traits, and 21 of these QTNs were detected in at least two environments, including four QTNs for PH, ten for TN, six for SD, and one for FW. To identify candidate genes, dynamic transcriptome expression profiling was performed at four stages of sorghum development. One hundred and six differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were enriched in hormone signal transduction pathways were found in all stages. Weighted gene correlation network analysis for PH and SD indicated that eight modules were significantly correlated with PH and that three modules were significantly correlated with SD. The blue module had the highest positive correlation with PH and SD, and the turquoise module had the highest negative correlation with PH and SD. Eight candidate genes were identified through the integration of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and RNA sequencing. Sobic.004G143900, an indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase gene that is involved in indoleacetic acid biosynthesis, was down-regulated as sorghum plants grew in height and was identified in the blue module, and Sobic.003G375100, an SD candidate gene, encoded a DNA repair RAD52-like protein 1 that plays a critical role in DNA repair-linked cell cycle progression. These findings demonstrate that the integrative analysis of omics data is a promising approach to identify candidate genes for complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Wang
- College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, China
| | - Yanlong Liu
- College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, China
| | - Li Gao
- College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, China
| | - Xiaocui Yang
- College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, China
| | - Shaoping Xie
- College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, China
| | - Meng Chen
- College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, China
| | - Yi-Hong Wang
- Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, United States
| | - Jieqin Li
- College of Agriculture, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, China
| | - Yixin Shen
- College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Francisco FR, Aono AH, da Silva CC, Gonçalves PS, Scaloppi Junior EJ, Le Guen V, Fritsche-Neto R, Souza LM, de Souza AP. Unravelling Rubber Tree Growth by Integrating GWAS and Biological Network-Based Approaches. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:768589. [PMID: 34992619 PMCID: PMC8724537 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.768589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) is a large tree species of the Euphorbiaceae family with inestimable economic importance. Rubber tree breeding programs currently aim to improve growth and production, and the use of early genotype selection technologies can accelerate such processes, mainly with the incorporation of genomic tools, such as marker-assisted selection (MAS). However, few quantitative trait loci (QTLs) have been used successfully in MAS for complex characteristics. Recent research shows the efficiency of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for locating QTL regions in different populations. In this way, the integration of GWAS, RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) methodologies, coexpression networks and enzyme networks can provide a better understanding of the molecular relationships involved in the definition of the phenotypes of interest, supplying research support for the development of appropriate genomic based strategies for breeding. In this context, this work presents the potential of using combined multiomics to decipher the mechanisms of genotype and phenotype associations involved in the growth of rubber trees. Using GWAS from a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) Hevea population, we were able to identify molecular markers in QTL regions with a main effect on rubber tree plant growth under constant water stress. The underlying genes were evaluated and incorporated into a gene coexpression network modelled with an assembled RNA-Seq-based transcriptome of the species, where novel gene relationships were estimated and evaluated through in silico methodologies, including an estimated enzymatic network. From all these analyses, we were able to estimate not only the main genes involved in defining the phenotype but also the interactions between a core of genes related to rubber tree growth at the transcriptional and translational levels. This work was the first to integrate multiomics analysis into the in-depth investigation of rubber tree plant growth, producing useful data for future genetic studies in the species and enhancing the efficiency of the species improvement programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Roberto Francisco
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Center (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Hild Aono
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Center (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Carla Cristina da Silva
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Center (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Paulo S. Gonçalves
- Center of Rubber Tree and Agroforestry Systems, Agronomic Institute (IAC), Votuporanga, Brazil
| | | | - Vincent Le Guen
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), UMR AGAP, Montpellier, France
- AGAP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Roberto Fritsche-Neto
- Department of Genetics, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Livia Moura Souza
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Center (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- São Francisco University (USF), Itatiba, Brazil
| | - Anete Pereira de Souza
- Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Center (CBMEG), University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
- Department of Plant Biology, Biology Institute, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
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Direct and indirect contributions of molecular genetics to farm animal welfare: a review. Anim Health Res Rev 2021; 22:177-186. [PMID: 34842522 DOI: 10.1017/s1466252321000104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Since domestication, farm animals have played a key role to increase the prosperity of humankind, while animal welfare (AW) is debated even today. This paper aims to comprehensively review the contributions of developing molecular genetics to farm animal welfare (FAW) and to raise awareness among both scientists and farmers about AW. Welfare is a complex trait affected by genetic structure and environmental factors. Therefore, the best welfare status can be achieved not only to enhance environmental factors such as management and feeding practices, but also the genetic structure of animals must be improved. In this regard, advances in molecular genetics have made great contributions to improve the genetic structure of farm animals, which has increased AW. Today, by sequencing and/or molecular markers, genetic diseases may be detected and eliminated in local herds. Additionally, genes related to diseases or adaptations are investigated by molecular techniques, and the frequencies of desired genotypes are increased in farm animals to keep welfare at an optimized level. Furthermore, stress on animals can be reduced with DNA extraction from stool and feather samples which reduces physical contact between animals and veterinarians. Together with molecular genetics, advances in genome editing tools and biotechnology are promising to improve FAW in the future.
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Hasankhani A, Bahrami A, Sheybani N, Fatehi F, Abadeh R, Ghaem Maghami Farahani H, Bahreini Behzadi MR, Javanmard G, Isapour S, Khadem H, Barkema HW. Integrated Network Analysis to Identify Key Modules and Potential Hub Genes Involved in Bovine Respiratory Disease: A Systems Biology Approach. Front Genet 2021; 12:753839. [PMID: 34733317 PMCID: PMC8559434 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.753839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most common disease in the beef and dairy cattle industry. BRD is a multifactorial disease resulting from the interaction between environmental stressors and infectious agents. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying BRD are not fully understood yet. Therefore, this study aimed to use a systems biology approach to systematically evaluate this disorder to better understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for BRD. Methods: Previously published RNA-seq data from whole blood of 18 healthy and 25 BRD samples were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and then analyzed. Next, two distinct methods of weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), i.e., module-trait relationships (MTRs) and module preservation (MP) analysis were used to identify significant highly correlated modules with clinical traits of BRD and non-preserved modules between healthy and BRD samples, respectively. After identifying respective modules by the two mentioned methods of WGCNA, functional enrichment analysis was performed to extract the modules that are biologically related to BRD. Gene coexpression networks based on the hub genes from the candidate modules were then integrated with protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks to identify hub-hub genes and potential transcription factors (TFs). Results: Four significant highly correlated modules with clinical traits of BRD as well as 29 non-preserved modules were identified by MTRs and MP methods, respectively. Among them, two significant highly correlated modules (identified by MTRs) and six nonpreserved modules (identified by MP) were biologically associated with immune response, pulmonary inflammation, and pathogenesis of BRD. After aggregation of gene coexpression networks based on the hub genes with PPI networks, a total of 307 hub-hub genes were identified in the eight candidate modules. Interestingly, most of these hub-hub genes were reported to play an important role in the immune response and BRD pathogenesis. Among the eight candidate modules, the turquoise (identified by MTRs) and purple (identified by MP) modules were highly biologically enriched in BRD. Moreover, STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, IRF7, and IRF9 TFs were suggested to play an important role in the immune system during BRD by regulating the coexpressed genes of these modules. Additionally, a gene set containing several hub-hub genes was identified in the eight candidate modules, such as TLR2, TLR4, IL10, SOCS3, GZMB, ANXA1, ANXA5, PTEN, SGK1, IFI6, ISG15, MX1, MX2, OAS2, IFIH1, DDX58, DHX58, RSAD2, IFI44, IFI44L, EIF2AK2, ISG20, IFIT5, IFITM3, OAS1Y, HERC5, and PRF1, which are potentially critical during infection with agents of bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC). Conclusion: This study not only helps us to better understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for BRD but also suggested eight candidate modules along with several promising hub-hub genes as diagnosis biomarkers and therapeutic targets for BRD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliakbar Hasankhani
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Bahrami
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
- Biomedical Center for Systems Biology Science Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Negin Sheybani
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farhang Fatehi
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Roxana Abadeh
- Department of Animal Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | - Ghazaleh Javanmard
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Sadegh Isapour
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Hosein Khadem
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Herman W. Barkema
- Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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Zhao B, Luo H, Huang X, Wei C, Di J, Tian Y, Fu X, Li B, Liu GE, Fang L, Zhang S, Tian K. Integration of a single-step genome-wide association study with a multi-tissue transcriptome analysis provides novel insights into the genetic basis of wool and weight traits in sheep. Genet Sel Evol 2021; 53:56. [PMID: 34193030 PMCID: PMC8247193 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-021-00649-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic improvement of wool and growth traits is a major goal in the sheep industry, but their underlying genetic architecture remains elusive. To improve our understanding of these mechanisms, we conducted a weighted single-step genome-wide association study (WssGWAS) and then integrated the results with large-scale transcriptome data for five wool traits and one growth trait in Merino sheep: mean fibre diameter (MFD), coefficient of variation of the fibre diameter (CVFD), crimp number (CN), mean staple length (MSL), greasy fleece weight (GFW), and live weight (LW). RESULTS Our dataset comprised 7135 individuals with phenotype data, among which 1217 had high-density (HD) genotype data (n = 372,534). The genotypes of 707 of these animals were imputed from the Illumina Ovine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) 54 BeadChip to the HD Array. The heritability of these traits ranged from 0.05 (CVFD) to 0.36 (MFD), and between-trait genetic correlations ranged from - 0.44 (CN vs. LW) to 0.77 (GFW vs. LW). By integrating the GWAS signals with RNA-seq data from 500 samples (representing 87 tissue types from 16 animals), we detected tissues that were relevant to each of the six traits, e.g. liver, muscle and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract were the most relevant tissues for LW, and leukocytes and macrophages were the most relevant cells for CN. For the six traits, 54 quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified covering 81 candidate genes on 21 ovine autosomes. Multiple candidate genes showed strong tissue-specific expression, e.g. BNC1 (associated with MFD) and CHRNB1 (LW) were specifically expressed in skin and muscle, respectively. By conducting phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS) in humans, we found that orthologues of several of these candidate genes were significantly (FDR < 0.05) associated with similar traits in humans, e.g. BNC1 was significantly associated with MFD in sheep and with hair colour in humans, and CHRNB1 was significantly associated with LW in sheep and with body mass index in humans. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide novel insights into the biological and genetic mechanisms underlying wool and growth traits, and thus will contribute to the genetic improvement and gene mapping of complex traits in sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingru Zhao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hanpeng Luo
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xixia Huang
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
| | - Chen Wei
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
| | - Jiang Di
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of the Fine Wool Sheep & Cashmere Goat in Xinjiang, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Yuezhen Tian
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of the Fine Wool Sheep & Cashmere Goat in Xinjiang, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Xuefeng Fu
- Key Laboratory of Genetics Breeding and Reproduction of the Fine Wool Sheep & Cashmere Goat in Xinjiang, Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Bingjie Li
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Roslin Institute Building, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Shengli Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
| | - Kechuan Tian
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China.
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17
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Hall TJ, Mullen MP, McHugo GP, Killick KE, Ring SC, Berry DP, Correia CN, Browne JA, Gordon SV, MacHugh DE. Integrative genomics of the mammalian alveolar macrophage response to intracellular mycobacteria. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:343. [PMID: 33980141 PMCID: PMC8117616 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07643-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bovine TB (bTB), caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis, is a major endemic disease affecting global cattle production. The key innate immune cell that first encounters the pathogen is the alveolar macrophage, previously shown to be substantially reprogrammed during intracellular infection by the pathogen. Here we use differential expression, and correlation- and interaction-based network approaches to analyse the host response to infection with M. bovis at the transcriptome level to identify core infection response pathways and gene modules. These outputs were then integrated with genome-wide association study (GWAS) data sets to enhance detection of genomic variants for susceptibility/resistance to M. bovis infection. Results The host gene expression data consisted of RNA-seq data from bovine alveolar macrophages (bAM) infected with M. bovis at 24 and 48 h post-infection (hpi) compared to non-infected control bAM. These RNA-seq data were analysed using three distinct computational pipelines to produce six separate gene sets: 1) DE genes filtered using stringent fold-change and P-value thresholds (DEG-24: 378 genes, DEG-48: 390 genes); 2) genes obtained from expression correlation networks (CON-24: 460 genes, CON-48: 416 genes); and 3) genes obtained from differential expression networks (DEN-24: 339 genes, DEN-48: 495 genes). These six gene sets were integrated with three bTB breed GWAS data sets by employing a new genomics data integration tool—gwinteR. Using GWAS summary statistics, this methodology enabled detection of 36, 102 and 921 prioritised SNPs for Charolais, Limousin and Holstein-Friesian, respectively. Conclusions The results from the three parallel analyses showed that the three computational approaches could identify genes significantly enriched for SNPs associated with susceptibility/resistance to M. bovis infection. Results indicate distinct and significant overlap in SNP discovery, demonstrating that network-based integration of biologically relevant transcriptomics data can leverage substantial additional information from GWAS data sets. These analyses also demonstrated significant differences among breeds, with the Holstein-Friesian breed GWAS proving most useful for prioritising SNPS through data integration. Because the functional genomics data were generated using bAM from this population, this suggests that the genomic architecture of bTB resilience traits may be more breed-specific than previously assumed. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07643-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Hall
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - Michael P Mullen
- Bioscience Research Institute, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Athlone, Westmeath, N37 HD68, Ireland
| | - Gillian P McHugo
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - Kate E Killick
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland.,Present address: Genuity Science, Cherrywood Business Park. Loughlinstown, Dublin, D18 K7W4, Ireland
| | - Siobhán C Ring
- Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, Highfield House, Shinagh, Bandon, Cork, P72 X050, Ireland
| | - Donagh P Berry
- Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Cork, P61 C996, Ireland
| | - Carolina N Correia
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - John A Browne
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - Stephen V Gordon
- UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland.,UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - David E MacHugh
- Animal Genomics Laboratory, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, UCD College of Health and Agricultural Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland. .,UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
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Hyperketonemia Predictions Provide an On-Farm Management Tool with Epidemiological Insights. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11051291. [PMID: 33946314 PMCID: PMC8145167 DOI: 10.3390/ani11051291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In dairy cows, the transition to lactation period is metabolically challenging. Elevated blood ketone bodies, known as hyperketonemia or ketosis, is a postpartum metabolic disorder that is associated with negative energy balance, greater comorbidity risk, and decreased milk production. Research to understand the etiology of hyperketonemia has highlighted risk factors and unfavorable outcomes; however, analysis of real-world data is valuable for determining the outcomes across a region. Dairy herd improvement data from herds with diverse size and production were analyzed to determine potential risk factors for and production outcomes of hyperketonemia in the Midwest region (US). Cows predicted to have hyperketonemia had greater previous lactation dry period length, somatic cell count, and dystocia, which may represent risk factors for ketosis. Cows with predicted hyperketonemia had lower milk yield and milk protein but greater milk fat and somatic cell count in the current lactation. Culling rate within 60d of calving, days open, and artificial inseminations were all greater in cows predicted to have hyperketonemia. Prevalence of hyperketonemia decreased linearly in herds with greater rolling herd average milk yield. This work demonstrates the impact of hyperketonemia on production variables which underscores the importance on continued work to reduce hyperketonemia prevalence. Abstract Prediction of hyperketonemia (HYK), a postpartum metabolic disorder in dairy cows, through use of cow and milk data has allowed for high-throughput detection and monitoring during monthly milk sampling. The objective of this study was to determine associations between predicted HYK (pHYK) and production parameters in a dataset generated from routine milk analysis samples. Data from 240,714 lactations across 335 farms were analyzed with multiple linear regression models to determine HYK status. Data on HYK or disease treatment was not solicited. Consistent with past research, pHYK cows had greater previous lactation dry period length, somatic cell count, and dystocia. Cows identified as pHYK had lower milk yield and protein percent but greater milk fat, specifically greater mixed and preformed fatty acids (FA), and greater somatic cell count (SCC). Differential somatic cell count was greater in second and fourth parity pHYK cows. Culling (60d), days open, and number of artificial inseminations were greater in pHYK cows. Hyperketonemia prevalence decreased linearly in herds with greater rolling herd average milk yield. This research confirms previously identified risk factors and negative outcomes associated with pHYK and highlights novel associations with differential SCC, mixed FA, and preformed FA across farm sizes and production levels.
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