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Chen S, Liu S, Shi S, Jiang Y, Cao M, Tang Y, Li W, Liu J, Fang L, Yu Y, Zhang S. Comparative epigenomics reveals the impact of ruminant-specific regulatory elements on complex traits. BMC Biol 2022; 20:273. [PMID: 36482458 PMCID: PMC9730597 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01459-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insights into the genetic basis of complex traits and disease in both human and livestock species have been achieved over the past decade through detection of genetic variants in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A majority of such variants were found located in noncoding genomic regions, and though the involvement of numerous regulatory elements (REs) has been predicted across multiple tissues in domesticated animals, their evolutionary conservation and effects on complex traits have not been fully elucidated, particularly in ruminants. Here, we systematically analyzed 137 epigenomic and transcriptomic datasets of six mammals, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, mice, and humans, and then integrated them with large-scale GWAS of complex traits. RESULTS Using 40 ChIP-seq datasets of H3K4me3 and H3K27ac, we detected 68,479, 58,562, 63,273, 97,244, 111,881, and 87,049 REs in the liver of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, humans and mice, respectively. We then systematically characterized the dynamic functional landscapes of these REs by integrating multi-omics datasets, including gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and DNA methylation. We identified a core set (n = 6359) of ruminant-specific REs that are involved in liver development, metabolism, and immune processes. Genes with more complex cis-REs exhibited higher gene expression levels and stronger conservation across species. Furthermore, we integrated expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and GWAS from 44 and 52 complex traits/diseases in cattle and humans, respectively. These results demonstrated that REs with different degrees of evolutionary conservation across species exhibited distinct enrichments for GWAS signals of complex traits. CONCLUSIONS We systematically annotated genome-wide functional REs in liver across six mammals and demonstrated the evolution of REs and their associations with transcriptional output and conservation. Detecting lineage-specific REs allows us to decipher the evolutionary and genetic basis of complex phenotypes in livestock and humans, which may benefit the discovery of potential biomedical models for functional variants and genes of specific human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqian Chen
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuli Liu
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China ,grid.494629.40000 0004 8008 9315 School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shaolei Shi
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yifan Jiang
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Mingyue Cao
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongjie Tang
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK ,grid.7048.b0000 0001 1956 2722Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics (QGG), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ying Yu
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- grid.22935.3f0000 0004 0530 8290Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Yao Y, Liu S, Xia C, Gao Y, Pan Z, Canela-Xandri O, Khamseh A, Rawlik K, Wang S, Li B, Zhang Y, Pairo-Castineira E, D’Mellow K, Li X, Yan Z, Li CJ, Yu Y, Zhang S, Ma L, Cole JB, Ross PJ, Zhou H, Haley C, Liu GE, Fang L, Tenesa A. Comparative transcriptome in large-scale human and cattle populations. Genome Biol 2022; 23:176. [PMID: 35996157 PMCID: PMC9394047 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02745-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cross-species comparison of transcriptomes is important for elucidating evolutionary molecular mechanisms underpinning phenotypic variation between and within species, yet to date it has been essentially limited to model organisms with relatively small sample sizes. RESULTS Here, we systematically analyze and compare 10,830 and 4866 publicly available RNA-seq samples in humans and cattle, respectively, representing 20 common tissues. Focusing on 17,315 orthologous genes, we demonstrate that mean/median gene expression, inter-individual variation of expression, expression quantitative trait loci, and gene co-expression networks are generally conserved between humans and cattle. By examining large-scale genome-wide association studies for 46 human traits (average n = 327,973) and 45 cattle traits (average n = 24,635), we reveal that the heritability of complex traits in both species is significantly more enriched in transcriptionally conserved than diverged genes across tissues. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our study provides a comprehensive comparison of transcriptomes between humans and cattle, which might help decipher the genetic and evolutionary basis of complex traits in both species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuelin Yao
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
- School of Informatics, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AB UK
| | - Shuli Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 USA
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Charley Xia
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH25 9RG UK
- Department of Psychology, 7 George Square, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ UK
| | - Yahui Gao
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 USA
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MA 20742 USA
| | - Zhangyuan Pan
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
- Present address: Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Oriol Canela-Xandri
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ava Khamseh
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
- School of Informatics, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9AB UK
| | - Konrad Rawlik
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH25 9RG UK
| | - Sheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 Yunnan China
| | - Bingjie Li
- Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Roslin Institute Building, Midlothian, EH25 9RG UK
| | - Yi Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Erola Pairo-Castineira
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH25 9RG UK
| | - Kenton D’Mellow
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xiujin Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Waterfowl Healthy Breeding, College of Animal Science & Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou, 510225 Guangdong China
| | - Ze Yan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Cong-jun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 USA
| | - Ying Yu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MA 20742 USA
| | - John B. Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 USA
| | - Pablo J. Ross
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Huaijun Zhou
- Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Chris Haley
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH25 9RG UK
| | - George E. Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705 USA
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
- Present address: Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Albert Tenesa
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XU Edinburgh, UK
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH25 9RG UK
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3
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Gao Y, Li J, Cai G, Wang Y, Yang W, Li Y, Zhao X, Li R, Gao Y, Tuo W, Baldwin RL, Li CJ, Fang L, Liu GE. Single-cell transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility analyses of dairy cattle peripheral blood mononuclear cells and their responses to lipopolysaccharide. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:338. [PMID: 35501711 PMCID: PMC9063233 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08562-0] [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: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gram-negative bacteria are important pathogens in cattle, causing severe infectious diseases, including mastitis. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are components of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and crucial mediators of chronic inflammation in cattle. LPS modulations of bovine immune responses have been studied before. However, the single-cell transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility analyses of bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and their responses to LPS stimulation were never reported. Results We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-cell sequencing assay for transposase-accessible chromatin (scATAC-seq) in bovine PBMCs before and after LPS treatment and demonstrated that seven major cell types, which included CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, and B cells, monocytes, natural killer cells, innate lymphoid cells, and dendritic cells. Bioinformatic analyses indicated that LPS could increase PBMC cell cycle progression, cellular differentiation, and chromatin accessibility. Gene analyses further showed significant changes in differential expression, transcription factor binding site, gene ontology, and regulatory interactions during the PBMC responses to LPS. Consistent with the findings of previous studies, LPS induced activation of monocytes and dendritic cells, likely through their upregulated TLR4 receptor. NF-κB was observed to be activated by LPS and an increased transcription of an array of pro-inflammatory cytokines, in agreement that NF-κB is an LPS-responsive regulator of innate immune responses. In addition, by integrating LPS-induced differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with large-scale GWAS of 45 complex traits in Holstein, we detected trait-relevant cell types. We found that selected DEGs were significantly associated with immune-relevant health, milk production, and body conformation traits. Conclusion This study provided the first scRNAseq and scATAC-seq data for cattle PBMCs and their responses to the LPS stimulation to the best of our knowledge. These results should also serve as valuable resources for the future study of the bovine immune system and open the door for discoveries about immune cell roles in complex traits like mastitis at single-cell resolution. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08562-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahui Gao
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.202, Gongyebei Road, Jinan, 250100, China.,Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Jianbin Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.202, Gongyebei Road, Jinan, 250100, China.
| | - Gaozhan Cai
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.202, Gongyebei Road, Jinan, 250100, China.,Shandong Ox Livestock Breeding Co., Ltd, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Yujiao Wang
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.202, Gongyebei Road, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Wenjing Yang
- 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.202, Gongyebei Road, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Xiuxin Zhao
- Shandong Ox Livestock Breeding Co., Ltd, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Rongling Li
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.202, Gongyebei Road, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Yundong Gao
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.202, Gongyebei Road, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Wenbin Tuo
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Ransom L Baldwin
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Cong-Jun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
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4
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Zhang Y, Cai W, Li Q, Wang Y, Wang Z, Zhang Q, Xu L, Xu L, Hu X, Zhu B, Gao X, Chen Y, Gao H, Li J, Zhang L. Transcriptome Analysis of Bovine Rumen Tissue in Three Developmental Stages. Front Genet 2022; 13:821406. [PMID: 35309117 PMCID: PMC8928727 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.821406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Rumen development is a crucial physiological challenge for ruminants. However, the molecular mechanism regulating rumen development has not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we investigated genes involved in rumen development in 13 rumen tissues from three developmental stages (birth, youth, and adult) using RNA sequencing. We identified that 6,048 genes were differentially expressed among three developmental stages. Using weighted correlation network analysis, we found that 12 modules were significantly associated with developmental stages. Functional annotation and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis revealed that CCNB1, CCNB2, IGF1, IGF2, HMGCL, BDH1, ACAT1, HMGCS2, and CREBBP involved in rumen development. Integrated transcriptome with GWAS information of carcass weight (CW), stomach weight (SW), marbling score (MS), backfat thickness (BFT), ribeye area (REA), and lean meat weight (LMW), we found that upregulated DEGs (fold change 0∼1) in birth–youth comparison were significantly enriched with GWAS signals of MS, downregulated DEGs (fold change >3) were significantly enriched with GWAS signals of SW, and fold change 0∼1 up/downregulated DEGs in birth–adult comparison were significantly enriched with GWAS signals of CW, LMW, REA, and BFT. Furthermore, we found that GWAS signals for CW, LMW, and REA were enriched in turquoise module, and GWAS signals for CW was enriched in lightgreen module. Our study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanism underlying rumen development in cattle and highlights an integrative analysis for illustrating the genetic architecture of beef complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yapeng Zhang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wentao Cai
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Li
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yahui Wang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zezhao Wang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lingyang Xu
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Research, Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hefei, China
| | - Xin Hu
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Gao
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huijiang Gao
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Junya Li
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Junya Li, ; Lupei Zhang,
| | - Lupei Zhang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Junya Li, ; Lupei Zhang,
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5
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Functional annotation of regulatory elements in cattle genome reveals the roles of extracellular interaction and dynamic change of chromatin states in rumen development during weaning. Genomics 2022; 114:110296. [PMID: 35143887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We profiled landscapes of bovine regulatory elements and explored dynamic changes of chromatin states in rumen development during weaning. The regulatory elements (15 chromatin states) and their coordinated activities in cattle were defined through genome-wide profiling of four histone modifications, CTCF-binding, DNA accessibility, DNA methylation, and transcriptome in rumen epithelial tissues. Each chromatin state presented specific enrichment for sequence ontology, methylation, trait-associated variants, transcription, gene expression-associated variants, selection signatures, and evolutionarily conserved elements. During weaning, weak enhancers and flanking active transcriptional start sites (TSS) were the most dynamic chromatin states and occurred in tandem with significant variations in gene expression and DNA methylation, significantly associated with stature, production, and reproduction economic traits. By comparing with in vitro cultured epithelial cells and in vivo rumen tissues, we showed the commonness and uniqueness of these results, especially the roles of cell interactions and mitochondrial activities in tissue development.
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Cai W, Li C, Li J, Song J, Zhang S. Integrated Small RNA Sequencing, Transcriptome and GWAS Data Reveal microRNA Regulation in Response to Milk Protein Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle. Front Genet 2021; 12:726706. [PMID: 34712266 PMCID: PMC8546187 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.726706] [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: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Milk protein is one of the most important economic traits in the dairy industry. Yet, the regulatory network of miRNAs for the synthesis of milk protein in mammary is poorly understood. Samples from 12 Chinese Holstein cows with three high ( ≥ 3.5%) and three low ( ≤ 3.0%) phenotypic values for milk protein percentage in lactation and non-lactation were examined through deep small RNA sequencing. We characterized 388 known and 212 novel miRNAs in the mammary gland. Differentially expressed analysis detected 28 miRNAs in lactation and 52 miRNAs in the non-lactating period with a highly significant correlation with milk protein concentration. Target prediction and correlation analysis identified some key miRNAs and their targets potentially involved in the synthesis of milk protein. We analyzed for enrichments of GWAS signals in miRNAs and their correlated targets. Our results demonstrated that genomic regions harboring DE miRNA genes in lactation were significantly enriched with GWAS signals for milk protein percentage traits and that enrichments within DE miRNA targets were significantly higher than in random gene sets for the majority of milk production traits. This integrated study on the transcriptome and posttranscriptional regulatory profiles between significantly differential phenotypes of milk protein concentration provides new insights into the mechanism of milk protein synthesis, which should reveal the regulatory mechanisms of milk secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Cai
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Bovine Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Department of Animal and Avian Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Cong 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, China
| | - Junya Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Bovine Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiuzhou Song
- Department of Animal and Avian Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Shengli 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, China
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7
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Zhao B, Luo H, He J, Huang X, Chen S, Fu X, Zeng W, Tian Y, Liu S, Li CJ, Liu GE, Fang L, Zhang S, Tian K. Comprehensive transcriptome and methylome analysis delineates the biological basis of hair follicle development and wool-related traits in Merino sheep. BMC Biol 2021; 19:197. [PMID: 34503498 PMCID: PMC8427949 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01127-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying hair follicle development is of paramount importance in the genetic improvement of wool-related traits in sheep and skin-related traits in humans. The Merino is the most important breed of fine-wooled sheep in the world. In this study, we systematically investigated the complexity of sheep hair follicle development by integrating transcriptome and methylome datasets from Merino sheep skin. Results We analysed 72 sequence datasets, including DNA methylome and the whole transcriptome of four gene types, i.e. protein-coding genes (PCGs), lncRNAs, circRNAs, and miRNAs, across four embryonic days (E65, E85, E105, and E135) and two postnatal days (P7 and P30) from the skin tissue of 18 Merino sheep. We revealed distinct expression profiles of these four gene types across six hair follicle developmental stages, and demonstrated their complex interactions with DNA methylation. PCGs with stage-specific expression or regulated by stage-specific lncRNAs, circRNAs, and miRNAs were significantly enriched in epithelial differentiation and hair follicle morphogenesis. Regulatory network and gene co-expression analyses identified key transcripts controlling hair follicle development. We further predicted transcriptional factors (e.g. KLF4, LEF1, HOXC13, RBPJ, VDR, RARA, and STAT3) with stage-specific involvement in hair follicle morphogenesis. Through integrating these stage-specific genomic features with results from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of five wool-related traits in 7135 Merino sheep, we detected developmental stages and genes that were relevant with wool-related traits in sheep. For instance, genes that were specifically upregulated at E105 were significantly associated with most of wool-related traits. A phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) demonstrated that candidate genes of wool-related traits (e.g. SPHK1, GHR, PPP1R27, CSRP2, EEF1A2, and PTPN1) in sheep were also significantly associated with dermatological, metabolic, and immune traits in humans. Conclusions Our study provides novel insights into the molecular basis of hair follicle morphogenesis and will serve as a foundation to improve breeding for wool traits in sheep. It also indicates the importance of studying gene expression in the normal development of organs in understanding the genetic architecture of economically important traits in livestock. The datasets generated here are useful resources for functionally annotating the sheep genome, and for elucidating early skin development in mammals, including humans. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01127-9.
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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
| | - Junmin He
- 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
| | - Xixia Huang
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
| | - Siqian Chen
- 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
| | - 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
| | - Weidan Zeng
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, 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
| | - Shuli Liu
- 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
| | - Cong-Jun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland, USA
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland, 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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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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9
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Rohde PD, Kristensen TN, Sarup P, Muñoz J, Malmendal A. Prediction of complex phenotypes using the Drosophila melanogaster metabolome. Heredity (Edinb) 2021; 126:717-732. [PMID: 33510469 PMCID: PMC8102504 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-021-00404-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the genotype-phenotype map and how variation at different levels of biological organization is associated are central topics in modern biology. Fast developments in sequencing technologies and other molecular omic tools enable researchers to obtain detailed information on variation at DNA level and on intermediate endophenotypes, such as RNA, proteins and metabolites. This can facilitate our understanding of the link between genotypes and molecular and functional organismal phenotypes. Here, we use the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics to investigate the ability of the metabolome to predict organismal phenotypes. We performed NMR metabolomics on four replicate pools of male flies from each of 170 different isogenic lines. Our results show that metabolite profiles are variable among the investigated lines and that this variation is highly heritable. Second, we identify genes associated with metabolome variation. Third, using the metabolome gave better prediction accuracies than genomic information for four of five quantitative traits analyzed. Our comprehensive characterization of population-scale diversity of metabolomes and its genetic basis illustrates that metabolites have large potential as predictors of organismal phenotypes. This finding is of great importance, e.g., in human medicine, evolutionary biology and animal and plant breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palle Duun Rohde
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
| | - Torsten Nygaard Kristensen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Pernille Sarup
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- Nordic Seed A/S, Odder, Denmark
| | - Joaquin Muñoz
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Anders Malmendal
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark.
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10
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Gao Y, Fang L, Baldwin RL, Connor EE, Cole JB, Van Tassell CP, Ma L, Li CJ, Liu GE. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses of dairy cattle ruminal epithelial cells during weaning. Genomics 2021; 113:2045-2055. [PMID: 33933592 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Using the 10× Genomics Chromium Controller, we obtained scRNA-seq data of 5064 and 1372 individual cells from two Holstein calf ruminal epithelial tissues before and after weaning, respectively. We detected six distinct cell clusters, designated their cell types, and reported their marker genes. We then examined these clusters' underlining cell types and relationships by performing cell cycle, pseudotime trajectory, regulatory network, weighted gene co-expression network and gene ontology analyses. By integrating these cell marker genes with Holstein GWAS signals, we found they were enriched for animal production and body conformation traits. Finally, we confirmed their cell identities by comparing them with human and mouse stomach epithelial cells. This study presents an initial effort to implement single-cell transcriptomic analysis in cattle, and demonstrates ruminal tissue epithelial cell types and their developments during weaning, opening the door for new discoveries about tissue/cell type roles in complex traits at single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahui Gao
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA; Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom.
| | - Ransom L Baldwin
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | - Erin E Connor
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
| | - John B Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | - Curtis P Van Tassell
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Cong-Jun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
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11
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Morgante F, Huang W, Sørensen P, Maltecca C, Mackay TFC. Leveraging Multiple Layers of Data To Predict Drosophila Complex Traits. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2020; 10:4599-4613. [PMID: 33106232 PMCID: PMC7718734 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The ability to accurately predict complex trait phenotypes from genetic and genomic data are critical for the implementation of personalized medicine and precision agriculture; however, prediction accuracy for most complex traits is currently low. Here, we used data on whole genome sequences, deep RNA sequencing, and high quality phenotypes for three quantitative traits in the ∼200 inbred lines of the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) to compare the prediction accuracies of gene expression and genotypes for three complex traits. We found that expression levels (r = 0.28 and 0.38, for females and males, respectively) provided higher prediction accuracy than genotypes (r = 0.07 and 0.15, for females and males, respectively) for starvation resistance, similar prediction accuracy for chill coma recovery (null for both models and sexes), and lower prediction accuracy for startle response (r = 0.15 and 0.14 for female and male genotypes, respectively; and r = 0.12 and 0.11, for females and male transcripts, respectively). Models including both genotype and expression levels did not outperform the best single component model. However, accuracy increased considerably for all the three traits when we included gene ontology (GO) category as an additional layer of information for both genomic variants and transcripts. We found strongly predictive GO terms for each of the three traits, some of which had a clear plausible biological interpretation. For example, for starvation resistance in females, GO:0033500 (r = 0.39 for transcripts) and GO:0032870 (r = 0.40 for transcripts), have been implicated in carbohydrate homeostasis and cellular response to hormone stimulus (including the insulin receptor signaling pathway), respectively. In summary, this study shows that integrating different sources of information improved prediction accuracy and helped elucidate the genetic architecture of three Drosophila complex phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Morgante
- Department of Biological Sciences and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
| | - Wen Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
| | - Peter Sørensen
- Center of Quantitative Genetics and Genomics and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Tjele 8830, Denmark
| | - Christian Maltecca
- Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
| | - Trudy F C Mackay
- Department of Biological Sciences and W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
- Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695
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12
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Yan Z, Huang H, Freebern E, Santos DJA, Dai D, Si J, Ma C, Cao J, Guo G, Liu GE, Ma L, Fang L, Zhang Y. Integrating RNA-Seq with GWAS reveals novel insights into the molecular mechanism underpinning ketosis in cattle. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:489. [PMID: 32680461 PMCID: PMC7367229 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06909-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ketosis is a common metabolic disease during the transition period in dairy cattle, resulting in long-term economic loss to the dairy industry worldwide. While genetic selection of resistance to ketosis has been adopted by many countries, the genetic and biological basis underlying ketosis is poorly understood. Results We collected a total of 24 blood samples from 12 Holstein cows, including 4 healthy and 8 ketosis-diagnosed ones, before (2 weeks) and after (5 days) calving, respectively. We then generated RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) data and seven blood biochemical indicators (bio-indicators) from leukocytes and plasma in each of these samples, respectively. By employing a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we detected that 4 out of 16 gene-modules, which were significantly engaged in lipid metabolism and immune responses, were transcriptionally (FDR < 0.05) correlated with postpartum ketosis and several bio-indicators (e.g., high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein). By conducting genome-wide association signal (GWAS) enrichment analysis among six common health traits (ketosis, mastitis, displaced abomasum, metritis, hypocalcemia and livability), we found that 4 out of 16 modules were genetically (FDR < 0.05) associated with ketosis, among which three were correlated with postpartum ketosis based on WGCNA. We further identified five candidate genes for ketosis, including GRINA, MAF1, MAFA, C14H8orf82 and RECQL4. Our phenome-wide association analysis (Phe-WAS) demonstrated that human orthologues of these candidate genes were also significantly associated with many metabolic, endocrine, and immune traits in humans. For instance, MAFA, which is involved in insulin secretion, glucose response, and transcriptional regulation, showed a significantly higher association with metabolic and endocrine traits compared to other types of traits in humans. Conclusions In summary, our study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanism underlying ketosis in cattle, and highlights that an integrative analysis of omics data and cross-species mapping are promising for illustrating the genetic architecture underpinning complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Yan
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Hetian Huang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.,College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Ellen Freebern
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Daniel J A Santos
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Dongmei Dai
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jingfang Si
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Chong Ma
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Gang Guo
- Beijing Sunlon Livestock Development Co Ltd., Beijing, 100076, China
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- MRC Human Genetics Unit at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.
| | - Yi Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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13
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Liu S, Yu Y, Zhang S, Cole JB, Tenesa A, Wang T, McDaneld TG, Ma L, Liu GE, Fang L. Epigenomics and genotype-phenotype association analyses reveal conserved genetic architecture of complex traits in cattle and human. BMC Biol 2020; 18:80. [PMID: 32620158 PMCID: PMC7334855 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00792-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Lack of comprehensive functional annotations across a wide range of tissues and cell types severely hinders the biological interpretations of phenotypic variation, adaptive evolution, and domestication in livestock. Here we used a combination of comparative epigenomics, genome-wide association study (GWAS), and selection signature analysis, to shed light on potential adaptive evolution in cattle. Results We cross-mapped 8 histone marks of 1300 samples from human to cattle, covering 178 unique tissues/cell types. By uniformly analyzing 723 RNA-seq and 40 whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) datasets in cattle, we validated that cross-mapped histone marks captured tissue-specific expression and methylation, reflecting tissue-relevant biology. Through integrating cross-mapped tissue-specific histone marks with large-scale GWAS and selection signature results, we for the first time detected relevant tissues and cell types for 45 economically important traits and artificial selection in cattle. For instance, immune tissues are significantly associated with health and reproduction traits, multiple tissues for milk production and body conformation traits (reflecting their highly polygenic architecture), and thyroid for the different selection between beef and dairy cattle. Similarly, we detected relevant tissues for 58 complex traits and diseases in humans and observed that immune and fertility traits in humans significantly correlated with those in cattle in terms of relevant tissues, which facilitated the identification of causal genes for such traits. For instance, PIK3CG, a gene highly specifically expressed in mononuclear cells, was significantly associated with both age-at-menopause in human and daughter-still-birth in cattle. ICAM, a T cell-specific gene, was significantly associated with both allergic diseases in human and metritis in cattle. Conclusion Collectively, our results highlighted that comparative epigenomics in conjunction with GWAS and selection signature analyses could provide biological insights into the phenotypic variation and adaptive evolution. Cattle may serve as a model for human complex traits, by providing additional information beyond laboratory model organisms, particularly when more novel phenotypes become available in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuli Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.,College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ying Yu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - John B Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Albert Tenesa
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK.,The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Tara G McDaneld
- US Meat Animal Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Clay Center, NE, 68933, USA
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA. .,MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU, UK. .,Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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14
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Fang L, Cai W, Liu S, Canela-Xandri O, Gao Y, Jiang J, Rawlik K, Li B, Schroeder SG, Rosen BD, Li CJ, Sonstegard TS, Alexander LJ, Van Tassell CP, VanRaden PM, Cole JB, Yu Y, Zhang S, Tenesa A, Ma L, Liu GE. Comprehensive analyses of 723 transcriptomes enhance genetic and biological interpretations for complex traits in cattle. Genome Res 2020; 30:790-801. [PMID: 32424068 PMCID: PMC7263193 DOI: 10.1101/gr.250704.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
By uniformly analyzing 723 RNA-seq data from 91 tissues and cell types, we built a comprehensive gene atlas and studied tissue specificity of genes in cattle. We demonstrated that tissue-specific genes significantly reflected the tissue-relevant biology, showing distinct promoter methylation and evolution patterns (e.g., brain-specific genes evolve slowest, whereas testis-specific genes evolve fastest). Through integrative analyses of those tissue-specific genes with large-scale genome-wide association studies, we detected relevant tissues/cell types and candidate genes for 45 economically important traits in cattle, including blood/immune system (e.g., CCDC88C) for male fertility, brain (e.g., TRIM46 and RAB6A) for milk production, and multiple growth-related tissues (e.g., FGF6 and CCND2) for body conformation. We validated these findings by using epigenomic data across major somatic tissues and sperm. Collectively, our findings provided novel insights into the genetic and biological mechanisms underlying complex traits in cattle, and our transcriptome atlas can serve as a primary source for biological interpretation, functional validation, studies of adaptive evolution, and genomic improvement in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhao Fang
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Wentao Cai
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shuli Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Oriol Canela-Xandri
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Yahui Gao
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Jicai Jiang
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Konrad Rawlik
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Bingjie Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Steven G Schroeder
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Benjamin D Rosen
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Cong-Jun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | | | - Leeson J Alexander
- Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Miles City, Montana 59301, USA
| | - Curtis P Van Tassell
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Paul M VanRaden
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - John B Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
| | - Ying Yu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shengli Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Albert Tenesa
- The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit at the Medical Research Council Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, United Kingdom
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA
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15
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Rohde PD, Jensen IR, Sarup PM, Ørsted M, Demontis D, Sørensen P, Kristensen TN. Genetic Signatures of Drug Response Variability in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2019; 213:633-650. [PMID: 31455722 PMCID: PMC6781897 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of the genetic basis underlying variation in response to environmental exposures or treatments is important in many research areas. For example, knowing the set of causal genetic variants for drug responses could revolutionize personalized medicine. We used Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the genetic signature underlying behavioral variability in response to methylphenidate (MPH), a drug used in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. We exposed a wild-type D. melanogaster population to MPH and a control treatment, and observed an increase in locomotor activity in MPH-exposed individuals. Whole-genome transcriptomic analyses revealed that the behavioral response to MPH was associated with abundant gene expression alterations. To confirm these patterns in a different genetic background and to further advance knowledge on the genetic signature of drug response variability, we used a system of inbred lines, the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP). Based on the DGRP, we showed that the behavioral response to MPH was strongly genotype-dependent. Using an integrative genomic approach, we incorporated known gene interactions into the genomic analyses of the DGRP, and identified putative candidate genes for variability in drug response. We successfully validated 71% of the investigated candidate genes by gene expression knockdown. Furthermore, we showed that MPH has cross-generational behavioral and transcriptomic effects. Our findings establish a foundation for understanding the genetic mechanisms driving genotype-specific responses to medical treatment, and highlight the opportunities that integrative genomic approaches have in optimizing medical treatment of complex diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palle Duun Rohde
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Integrative Sequencing, Aarhus University, 8000, Denmark
| | - Iben Ravnborg Jensen
- Section for Biology and Environmental Science, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, 9220, Denmark
| | - Pernille Merete Sarup
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Michael Ørsted
- Section for Biology and Environmental Science, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, 9220, Denmark
| | - Ditte Demontis
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Center for Integrative Sequencing, Aarhus University, 8000, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000, Denmark
| | - Peter Sørensen
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Torsten Nygaard Kristensen
- Section for Biology and Environmental Science, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, 9220, Denmark
- Section for Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8000, Denmark
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16
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Fang L, Liu S, Liu M, Kang X, Lin S, Li B, Connor EE, Baldwin RL, Tenesa A, Ma L, Liu GE, Li CJ. Functional annotation of the cattle genome through systematic discovery and characterization of chromatin states and butyrate-induced variations. BMC Biol 2019; 17:68. [PMID: 31419979 PMCID: PMC6698049 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0687-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The functional annotation of genomes, including chromatin accessibility and modifications, is important for understanding and effectively utilizing the increased amount of genome sequences reported. However, while such annotation has been well explored in a diverse set of tissues and cell types in human and model organisms, relatively little data are available for livestock genomes, hindering our understanding of complex trait variation, domestication, and adaptive evolution. Here, we present the first complete global landscape of regulatory elements in cattle and explore the dynamics of chromatin states in rumen epithelial cells induced by the rumen developmental regulator-butyrate. RESULTS We established the first global map of regulatory elements (15 chromatin states) and defined their coordinated activities in cattle, through genome-wide profiling for six histone modifications, RNA polymerase II, CTCF-binding sites, DNA accessibility, DNA methylation, and transcriptome in rumen epithelial primary cells (REPC), rumen tissues, and Madin-Darby bovine kidney epithelial cells (MDBK). We demonstrated that each chromatin state exhibited specific enrichment for sequence ontology, transcription, methylation, trait-associated variants, gene expression-associated variants, selection signatures, and evolutionarily conserved elements, implying distinct biological functions. After butyrate treatments, we observed that the weak enhancers and flanking active transcriptional start sites (TSS) were the most dynamic chromatin states, occurred concomitantly with significant alterations in gene expression and DNA methylation, which was significantly associated with heifer conception rate and stature economic traits. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate the crucial role of functional genome annotation for understanding genome regulation, complex trait variation, and adaptive evolution in livestock. Using butyrate to induce the dynamics of the epigenomic landscape, we were able to establish the correlation among nutritional elements, chromatin states, gene activities, and phenotypic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhao Fang
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Shuli Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 China
| | - Mei Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Agricultural Molecular Biology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Xiaolong Kang
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
- College of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021 China
| | - Shudai Lin
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
- Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding and Key Lab of Chicken Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Animal Science of South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642 China
| | - Bingjie Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Erin E. Connor
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Ransom L. Baldwin
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Albert Tenesa
- The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XU UK
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - George E. Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Cong-jun Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
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17
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Fang L, Zhou Y, Liu S, Jiang J, Bickhart DM, Null DJ, Li B, Schroeder SG, Rosen BD, Cole JB, Van Tassell CP, Ma L, Liu GE. Integrating Signals from Sperm Methylome Analysis and Genome-Wide Association Study for a Better Understanding of Male Fertility in Cattle. EPIGENOMES 2019; 3:epigenomes3020010. [PMID: 34968233 PMCID: PMC8594688 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes3020010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Decreased male fertility is a big concern in both human society and the livestock industry. Sperm DNA methylation is commonly believed to be associated with male fertility. However, due to the lack of accurate male fertility records (i.e., limited mating times), few studies have investigated the comprehensive impacts of sperm DNA methylation on male fertility in mammals. In this study, we generated 10 sperm DNA methylomes and performed a preliminary correlation analysis between signals from sperm DNA methylation and signals from large-scale (n = 27,214) genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of 35 complex traits (including 12 male fertility-related traits). We detected genomic regions, which experienced DNA methylation alterations in sperm and were associated with aging and extreme fertility phenotypes (e.g., sire-conception rate or SCR). In dynamic hypomethylated regions (HMRs) and partially methylated domains (PMDs), we found genes (e.g., HOX gene clusters and microRNAs) that were involved in the embryonic development. We demonstrated that genomic regions, which gained rather than lost methylations during aging, and in animals with low SCR were significantly and selectively enriched for GWAS signals of male fertility traits. Our study discovered 16 genes as the potential candidate markers for male fertility, including SAMD5 and PDE5A. Collectively, this initial effort supported a hypothesis that sperm DNA methylation may contribute to male fertility in cattle and revealed the usefulness of functional annotations in enhancing biological interpretation and genomic prediction for complex traits and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhao Fang
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Education Ministry of China, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shuli Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jicai Jiang
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Derek M. Bickhart
- Dairy Forage Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Madison, WI 53718, USA
| | - Daniel J. Null
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Bingjie Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Steven G. Schroeder
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Benjamin D. Rosen
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - John B. Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Curtis P. Van Tassell
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (G.E.L.); Tel.: +1-301-405-1389 (L.M.); +1-301-504-9843 (G.E.L.); Fax: +1-301-504-8414 (G.E.L.)
| | - George E. Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
- Correspondence: (L.M.); (G.E.L.); Tel.: +1-301-405-1389 (L.M.); +1-301-504-9843 (G.E.L.); Fax: +1-301-504-8414 (G.E.L.)
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18
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Fang L, Zhou Y, Liu S, Jiang J, Bickhart DM, Null DJ, Li B, Schroeder SG, Rosen BD, Cole JB, Van Tassell CP, Ma L, Liu GE. Comparative analyses of sperm DNA methylomes among human, mouse and cattle provide insights into epigenomic evolution and complex traits. Epigenetics 2019; 14:260-276. [PMID: 30810461 PMCID: PMC6557555 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1582217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Sperm DNA methylation is crucial for fertility and viability of offspring but epigenome evolution in mammals is largely understudied. By comparing sperm DNA methylomes and large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals between human and cattle, we aimed to examine the DNA methylome evolution and its associations with complex phenotypes in mammals. Our analysis revealed that genes with conserved non-methylated promoters (e.g., ANKS1A and WNT7A) among human and cattle were involved in common system and embryo development, and enriched for GWAS signals of body conformation traits in both species, while genes with conserved hypermethylated promoters (e.g., TCAP and CD80) were engaged in immune responses and highlighted by immune-related traits. On the other hand, genes with human-specific hypomethylated promoters (e.g., FOXP2 and HYDIN) were engaged in neuron system development and enriched for GWAS signals of brain-related traits, while genes with cattle-specific hypomethylated promoters (e.g., LDHB and DGAT2) mainly participated in lipid storage and metabolism. We validated our findings using sperm-retained nucleosome, preimplantation transcriptome, and adult tissue transcriptome data, as well as sequence evolutionary features, including motif binding sites, mutation rates, recombination rates and evolution signatures. In conclusion, our results demonstrate important roles of epigenome evolution in shaping the genetic architecture underlying complex phenotypes, hence enhance signal prioritization in GWAS and provide valuable information for human neurological disorders and livestock genetic improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhao Fang
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA.,b Department of Animal and Avian Sciences , University of Maryland , College Park , MD , USA
| | - Yang Zhou
- c Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Education Ministry of China , Huazhong Agricultural University , Wuhan , Hubei , China
| | - Shuli Liu
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA.,d Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology , China Agricultural University , Beijing , China
| | - Jicai Jiang
- b Department of Animal and Avian Sciences , University of Maryland , College Park , MD , USA
| | - Derek M Bickhart
- e Dairy Forage Research Center , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Daniel J Null
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - Bingjie Li
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - Steven G Schroeder
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - Benjamin D Rosen
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - John B Cole
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - Curtis P Van Tassell
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
| | - Li Ma
- b Department of Animal and Avian Sciences , University of Maryland , College Park , MD , USA
| | - George E Liu
- a Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC , Agricultural Research Service, USDA , Beltsville , MD , USA
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19
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Fang L, Jiang J, Li B, Zhou Y, Freebern E, Vanraden PM, Cole JB, Liu GE, Ma L. Genetic and epigenetic architecture of paternal origin contribute to gestation length in cattle. Commun Biol 2019; 2:100. [PMID: 30886909 PMCID: PMC6418173 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0341-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The length of gestation can affect offspring health and performance. Both maternal and fetal effects contribute to gestation length; however, paternal contributions to gestation length remain elusive. Using genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 27,214 Holstein bulls with millions of gestation records, here we identify nine paternal genomic loci associated with cattle gestation length. We demonstrate that these GWAS signals are enriched in pathways relevant to embryonic development, and in differentially methylated regions between sperm samples with long and short gestation length. We reveal that gestation length shares genetic and epigenetic architecture in sperm with calving ability, body depth, and conception rate. While several candidate genes are detected in our fine-mapping analysis, we provide evidence indicating ZNF613 as a promising candidate for cattle gestation length. Collectively, our findings support that the paternal genome and epigenome can impact gestation length potentially through regulation of the embryonic development. Lingzhao Fang et al. studied the paternal genetic variants that affect gestational length in cattle. They found that paternal genes from pathways involved in embryonic development were associated with gestation length, and that these were often found in differentially methylated regions of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingzhao Fang
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.,Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Jicai Jiang
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Bingjie Li
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Yang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Education Ministry of China, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ellen Freebern
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Paul M Vanraden
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - John B Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - George E Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Li Ma
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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20
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MicroRNA-guided prioritization of genome-wide association signals reveals the importance of microRNA-target gene networks for complex traits in cattle. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9345. [PMID: 29921979 PMCID: PMC6008395 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27729-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNA) are key modulators of gene expression and so act as putative fine-tuners of complex phenotypes. Here, we hypothesized that causal variants of complex traits are enriched in miRNAs and miRNA-target networks. First, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for seven functional and milk production traits using imputed sequence variants (13~15 million) and >10,000 animals from three dairy cattle breeds, i.e., Holstein (HOL), Nordic red cattle (RDC) and Jersey (JER). Second, we analyzed for enrichments of association signals in miRNAs and their miRNA-target networks. Our results demonstrated that genomic regions harboring miRNA genes were significantly (P < 0.05) enriched with GWAS signals for milk production traits and mastitis, and that enrichments within miRNA-target gene networks were significantly higher than in random gene-sets for the majority of traits. Furthermore, most between-trait and across-breed correlations of enrichments with miRNA-target networks were significantly greater than with random gene-sets, suggesting pleiotropic effects of miRNAs. Intriguingly, genes that were differentially expressed in response to mammary gland infections were significantly enriched in the miRNA-target networks associated with mastitis. All these findings were consistent across three breeds. Collectively, our observations demonstrate the importance of miRNAs and their targets for the expression of complex traits.
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21
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Abstract
Understanding the genetic underpinnings of complex traits requires knowledge of the genetic variants that contribute to phenotypic variability. Reliable statistical approaches are needed to obtain such knowledge. In genome-wide association studies, variants are tested for association with trait variability to pinpoint loci that contribute to the quantitative trait. Because stringent genome-wide significance thresholds are applied to control the false positive rate, many true causal variants can remain undetected. To ameliorate this problem, many alternative approaches have been developed, such as genomic feature models (GFM). The GFM approach tests for association of set of genomic markers, and predicts genomic values from genomic data utilizing prior biological knowledge. We investigated to what degree the findings from GFM have biological relevance. We used the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel to investigate locomotor activity, and applied genomic feature prediction models to identify gene ontology (GO) categories predictive of this phenotype. Next, we applied the covariance association test to partition the genomic variance of the predictive GO terms to the genes within these terms. We then functionally assessed whether the identified candidate genes affected locomotor activity by reducing gene expression using RNA interference. In five of the seven candidate genes tested, reduced gene expression altered the phenotype. The ranking of genes within the predictive GO term was highly correlated with the magnitude of the phenotypic consequence of gene knockdown. This study provides evidence for five new candidate genes for locomotor activity, and provides support for the reliability of the GFM approach.
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22
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Ørsted M, Rohde PD, Hoffmann AA, Sørensen P, Kristensen TN. Environmental variation partitioned into separate heritable components. Evolution 2017; 72:136-152. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ørsted
- Section of Biology and Environmental Science, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience; Aalborg University; Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H 9220 Aalborg E Denmark
- School of Biosciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Palle Duun Rohde
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics; Aarhus University; Blichers Allé 20 8830 Tjele Denmark
- i PSYCH; The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research; 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
- i SEQ, Center for Integrative Sequencing; Aarhus University; Bartholins Allé 6 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
| | - Ary Anthony Hoffmann
- Section of Biology and Environmental Science, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience; Aalborg University; Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H 9220 Aalborg E Denmark
- School of Biosciences, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute; The University of Melbourne; Parkville Victoria 3052 Australia
| | - Peter Sørensen
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics; Aarhus University; Blichers Allé 20 8830 Tjele Denmark
| | - Torsten Nygaard Kristensen
- Section of Biology and Environmental Science, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience; Aalborg University; Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H 9220 Aalborg E Denmark
- Section of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Department of Bioscience; Aarhus University; 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
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