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Yang C, Xiao Y, Wang X, Wei X, Wang J, Gao Y, Jiang Q, Ju Z, Zhang Y, Liu W, Huang N, Li Y, Gao Y, Wang L, Huang J. Coordinated alternation of DNA methylation and alternative splicing of PBRM1 affect bovine sperm structure and motility. Epigenetics 2023; 18:2183339. [PMID: 36866611 PMCID: PMC9988346 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2023.2183339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation and gene alternative splicing drive spermatogenesis. In screening DNA methylation markers and transcripts related to sperm motility, semen from three pairs of full-sibling Holstein bulls with high and low motility was subjected to reduced representation bisulphite sequencing. A total of 948 DMRs were found in 874 genes (gDMRs). Approximately 89% of gDMR-related genes harboured alternative splicing events, including SMAD2, KIF17, and PBRM1. One DMR in exon 29 of PBRM1 with the highest 5mC ratio was found, and hypermethylation in this region was related to bull sperm motility. Furthermore, alternative splicing events at exon 29 of PBRM1 were found in bull testis, including PBRM1-complete, PBRM1-SV1 (exon 28 deletion), and PBRM1-SV2 (exons 28-29 deletion). PBRM1-SV2 exhibited significantly higher expression in adult bull testes than in newborn bull testes. In addition, PBRM1 was localized to the redundant nuclear membrane of bull sperm, which might be related to sperm motility caused by sperm tail breakage. Therefore, the hypermethylation of exon 29 may be associated with the production of PBRM1-SV2 in spermatogenesis. These findings indicated that DNA methylation alteration at specific loci could regulate gene splicing and expression and synergistically alter sperm structure and motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Yao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Xiuge Wang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Xiaochao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Jinpeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Yaping Gao
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Qiang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Zhihua Ju
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China.,College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, P. R. China
| | - Yaran Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Wenhao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Ning Huang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Yanqin Li
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Yundong Gao
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Lingling Wang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China
| | - Jinming Huang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics of MARA, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China.,Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Jinan, P.R.China.,College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, P. R. China
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Centre de Recherche en Reproduction, Développement et Santé Intergénérationnelle, Faculté des Sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation, Département des Sciences Animales, Pavillon INAF, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Marc-André Sirard
- Centre de Recherche en Reproduction, Développement et Santé Intergénérationnelle, Faculté des Sciences de l'Agriculture et de l'Alimentation, Département des Sciences Animales, Pavillon INAF, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
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Hall JG. The mystery of monozygotic twinning II: What can monozygotic twinning tell us about Amyoplasia from a review of the various mechanisms and types of monozygotic twinning? Am J Med Genet A 2021; 185:1822-1835. [PMID: 33765349 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Monozygotic (MZ) twins ("identical twins") are essentially unique to human beings. Why and how they arise is not known. This article reviews the possible different types of MZ twinning recognized in the previous article on twins and arthrogryposis. There appear to be at least three subgroups of MZ twinning: spontaneous, familial, and those related to artificial reproductive technologies. Each is likely to have different etiologies and different secondary findings. Spontaneous MZ twinning may relate to "overripe ova." Amyoplasia, a specific nongenetic form of arthrogryposis, appears to occur in spontaneous MZ twinning and may be related to twin-twin transfusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith G Hall
- University of British Columbia and Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia, Department of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Kiefer H, Perrier JP. DNA methylation in bull spermatozoa: evolutionary impacts, interindividual variability, and contribution to the embryo. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjas-2019-0071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The DNA methylome of spermatozoa results from a unique epigenetic reprogramming crucial for chromatin compaction and the protection of the paternal genetic heritage. Although bull semen is widely used for artificial insemination (AI), little is known about the sperm epigenome in cattle. The purpose of this review is to synthetize recent work on the bull sperm methylome in light of the knowledge accumulated in humans and model species. We will address sperm-specific DNA methylation features and their potential evolutionary impacts, with particular emphasis on hypomethylated regions and repetitive elements. We will review recent examples of interindividual variability and intra-individual plasticity of the bull sperm methylome as related to fertility and age, respectively. Finally, we will address paternal methylome reprogramming after fertilization, as well as the mechanisms potentially involved in epigenetic inheritance, and provide some examples of disturbances that alter the dynamics of reprogramming in cattle. Because the selection of AI bulls is closely based on their genotypes, we will also discuss the complex interplay between sequence polymorphism and DNA methylation, which represents both a difficulty in addressing the role of DNA methylation in shaping phenotypes and an opportunity to better understand genome plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Kiefer
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, 78350 Jouy en-Josas, France
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, 78350 Jouy en-Josas, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Perrier
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, 78350 Jouy en-Josas, France
- UMR BDR, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris Saclay, 78350 Jouy en-Josas, France
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Carvalheira LDR, Tríbulo P, Borges ÁM, Hansen PJ. Sex affects immunolabeling for histone 3 K27me3 in the trophectoderm of the bovine blastocyst but not labeling for histone 3 K18ac. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223570. [PMID: 31600298 PMCID: PMC6786533 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian embryo displays sexual dimorphism in the preimplantation period. Moreover, competence of the embryo to develop is dependent on the sire from which the embryo is derived and can be modified by embryokines produced by the endometrium such as colony stimulating factor 2 (CSF2). The preimplantation period is characterized by large changes in epigenetic modifications of DNA and histones. It is possible, therefore, that effects of sex, sire, and embryo regulatory molecules are mediated by changes in epigenetic modifications. Here it was tested whether global levels of two histone modifications in the trophectoderm of the bovine blastocyst were affected by sex, sire, and CSF2. It was found that amounts of immunolabeled H3K27me3 were greater (P = 0.030) for male embryos than female embryos. Additionally, labeling for H3K27me3 and H3K18ac depended upon the bull from which embryos were derived. Although CSF2 reduced the proportion of embryos developing to the blastocyst, there was no effect of CSF2 on labeling for H3K27me3 or H3K18ac. Results indicate that the blastocyst trophoctoderm can be modified epigenetically by embryo sex and paternal inheritance through alterations in histone epigenetic marks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciano de R. Carvalheira
- Department of Animal Sciences, D.H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Paula Tríbulo
- Department of Animal Sciences, D.H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Álan M. Borges
- Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Peter J. Hansen
- Department of Animal Sciences, D.H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program, and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Liu S, Chen S, Cai W, Yin H, Liu A, Li Y, Liu GE, Wang Y, Yu Y, Zhang S. Divergence Analyses of Sperm DNA Methylomes between Monozygotic Twin AI Bulls. EPIGENOMES 2019; 3:21. [PMID: 34968253 PMCID: PMC8594723 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes3040021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Semen quality is critical for fertility. However, it is easily influenced by environmental factors and can induce subfertility in the next generations. Here, we aimed to assess the impacts of differentially methylated regions and genes on semen quality and offspring fertility. A specific pair of monozygotic (MZ) twin artificial insemination (AI) Holstein bulls with moderately different sperm qualities (Bull1 > Bull2) was used in the study, and each twin bull had produced ~6000 recorded daughters nationwide in China. Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing, we profiled the landscape of the twin bulls' sperm methylomes, and we observed markedly higher sperm methylation levels in Bull1 than in Bull2. Furthermore, we found 528 differentially methylated regions (DMR) between the MZ twin bulls, which spanned or overlapped with 309 differentially methylated genes (DMG). These DMG were particularly associated with embryo development, organ development, reproduction, and the nervous system. Several DMG were also shown to be differentially expressed in the sperm cells. Moreover, the significant differences in DNA methylation on gene INSL3 between the MZ twin bulls were confirmed at three different age points. Our results provided new insights into the impacts of AI bull sperm methylomes on offspring fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuli Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 2rd, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China; (S.L.); (S.C.); (W.C.); (H.Y.); (A.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Siqian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 2rd, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China; (S.L.); (S.C.); (W.C.); (H.Y.); (A.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Wentao Cai
- 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, 2rd, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China; (S.L.); (S.C.); (W.C.); (H.Y.); (A.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Hongwei Yin
- 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, 2rd, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China; (S.L.); (S.C.); (W.C.); (H.Y.); (A.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Aoxing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 2rd, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China; (S.L.); (S.C.); (W.C.); (H.Y.); (A.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Yanhua 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, 2rd, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China; (S.L.); (S.C.); (W.C.); (H.Y.); (A.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- Beijing Dairy Cattle Center, Qinghe South Town, Beijing 100085, China
| | - George E. Liu
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, BARC, USDA-ARS, BARC-East, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA;
| | - Yachun Wang
- 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, 2rd, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China; (S.L.); (S.C.); (W.C.); (H.Y.); (A.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Ying Yu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 2rd, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China; (S.L.); (S.C.); (W.C.); (H.Y.); (A.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - 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, 2rd, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing 100193, China; (S.L.); (S.C.); (W.C.); (H.Y.); (A.L.); (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
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O'Doherty AM, McGettigan P, Irwin RE, Magee DA, Gagne D, Fournier E, Al-Naib A, Sirard MA, Walsh CP, Robert C, Fair T. Intragenic sequences in the trophectoderm harbour the greatest proportion of methylation errors in day 17 bovine conceptuses generated using assisted reproductive technologies. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:438. [PMID: 29866048 PMCID: PMC5987443 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4818-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are widely used to treat fertility issues in humans and for the production of embryos in mammalian livestock. The use of these techniques, however, is not without consequence as they are often associated with inauspicious pre- and postnatal outcomes including premature birth, intrauterine growth restriction and increased incidence of epigenetic disorders in human and large offspring syndrome in cattle. Here, global DNA methylation profiles in the trophectoderm and embryonic discs of in vitro produced (IVP), superovulation-derived (SOV) and unstimulated, synchronised control day 17 bovine conceptuses (herein referred to as AI) were interrogated using the EmbryoGENE DNA Methylation Array (EDMA). Pyrosequencing was used to validate four loci identified as differentially methylated on the array and to assess the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of six imprinted genes in these conceptuses. The impact of embryo-production induced DNA methylation aberrations was determined using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, shedding light on the potential functional consequences of these differences. Results Of the total number of differentially methylated loci identified (3140) 77.3 and 22.7% were attributable to SOV and IVP, respectively. Differential methylation was most prominent at intragenic sequences within the trophectoderm of IVP and SOV-derived conceptuses, almost a third (30.8%) of the differentially methylated loci mapped to intragenic regions. Very few differentially methylated loci were detected in embryonic discs (ED); 0.16 and 4.9% of the differentially methylated loci were located in the ED of SOV-derived and IVP conceptuses, respectively. The overall effects of SOV and IVP on the direction of methylation changes were associated with increased methylation; 70.6% of the differentially methylated loci in SOV-derived conceptuses and 57.9% of the loci in IVP-derived conceptuses were more methylated compared to AI-conceptuses. Ontology analysis of probes associated with intragenic sequences suggests enrichment for terms associated with cancer, cell morphology and growth. Conclusion By examining (1) the effects of superovulation and (2) the effects of an in vitro system (oocyte maturation, fertilisation and embryo culture) we have identified that the assisted reproduction process of superovulation alone has the largest impact on the DNA methylome of subsequent embryos. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4818-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan M O'Doherty
- School of Agriculture and Food Science and Lyons Research Farm, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - Paul McGettigan
- School of Agriculture and Food Science and Lyons Research Farm, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Rachelle E Irwin
- Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK
| | - David A Magee
- School of Agriculture and Food Science and Lyons Research Farm, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Dominic Gagne
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie de la Reproduction (CRBR), Département des Sciences Animales, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Eric Fournier
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie de la Reproduction (CRBR), Département des Sciences Animales, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Abdullah Al-Naib
- Department of Animal and Poultry Science, School of Agriculture, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksberg, VA, USA
| | - Marc-André Sirard
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie de la Reproduction (CRBR), Département des Sciences Animales, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Colum P Walsh
- Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK
| | - Claude Robert
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie de la Reproduction (CRBR), Département des Sciences Animales, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada
| | - Trudee Fair
- School of Agriculture and Food Science and Lyons Research Farm, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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Fleming A, Abdalla EA, Maltecca C, Baes CF. Invited review: Reproductive and genomic technologies to optimize breeding strategies for genetic progress in dairy cattle. Arch Anim Breed 2018. [DOI: 10.5194/aab-61-43-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract. Dairy cattle breeders have exploited technological advances that have emerged in the past in regards to reproduction and genomics. The implementation of such technologies in routine breeding programs has permitted genetic gains in traditional milk production traits as well as, more recently, in low-heritability traits like health and fertility. As demand for dairy products increases, it is important for dairy breeders to optimize the use of available technologies and to consider the many emerging technologies that are currently being investigated in various fields. Here we review a number of technologies that have helped shape dairy breeding programs in the past and present, along with those potentially forthcoming. These tools have materialized in the areas of reproduction, genotyping and sequencing, genetic modification, and epigenetics. Although many of these technologies bring encouraging opportunities for genetic improvement of dairy cattle populations, their applications and benefits need to be weighed with their impacts on economics, genetic diversity, and society.
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Lambert S, Blondin P, Vigneault C, Labrecque R, Dufort I, Sirard MA. Spermatozoa DNA methylation patterns differ due to peripubertal age in bulls. Theriogenology 2017; 106:21-29. [PMID: 29031946 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In the dairy industry, using semen as soon as the bull is mature enough to produce it is advantageous for breeding purposes. Mammalian spermatogenesis is a hormone-dependent developmental program in which a complex cascade of events must take place to ensure that germ cells reach the proper stage of development at the proper time. Conventional indicators of semen quality such as sperm cell motility and viability usually improve as bulls mature, meeting quality criteria satisfactorily at around 16 months. Using semen before that age may affect embryo viability, but other changes occurring during the peripubertal period should be considered. Although it is known that establishment of these patterns begins during foetal life, the extent to which sperm cell DNA methylation changes during puberty has not been studied. The aim of this study is to correlate the age of a young bull with the overall DNA methylation pattern of its spermatozoa. Spermatozoa were collected from bulls at the ages of 10 months (early pubertal), 12 months (late pubertal) and 16 months (pubertal). Each animal (n = 4) was compared to itself with 16 months as control. Genome-wide DNA methylation was analyzed by microarray using the EmbryoGENE DNA Methylation Analysis platform. Using a fold change over 1.5 and a 5% FDR p-value correction, a total of 2602 differently methylated regions were found in common between 10 months of age and 16 months of age. No differently methylated regions between 12 months and 16 months of age were found at the same level of statistical significance. We conclude that spermatozoa from bulls aged 10 months have a different epigenetic profile, which could compromise their value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Lambert
- Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Département des sciences animales, Pavillon des services, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Isabelle Dufort
- Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Département des sciences animales, Pavillon des services, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Marc-André Sirard
- Centre de recherche en reproduction, développement et santé intergénérationnelle, Faculté des sciences de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation, Département des sciences animales, Pavillon des services, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
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