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Chen C, Ren H, Li H, Deng Y, Cui Q, Zhu J, Zhang S, Yu J, Wang H, Yu X, Yang S, Hu X, Peng Y. Identification of crucial modules and genes associated with backfat tissue development by WGCNA in Ningxiang pigs. Front Genet 2023; 14:1234757. [PMID: 37662841 PMCID: PMC10469685 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1234757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Fat deposition is an economically important trait in pigs. Ningxiang pig, one of the four famous indigenous breeds in China, is characterized by high fat content. The underlying gene expression pattern in different developmental periods of backfat tissue remains unclear, and the purpose of this investigation is to explore the potential molecular regulators of backfat tissue development in Ningxiang pigs. Backfat tissue (three samples for each stage) was initially collected from different developmental stages (60, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 days after birth), and histological analysis and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were then conducted. Fragments per kilobase of transcript per million (FPKM) method was used to qualify gene expressions, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Furthermore, strongly co-expressed genes in modules, which were named by color, were clustered by Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) based on dynamic tree cutting algorithm. Gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment were subsequently implemented, and hub genes were described in each module. Finally, QPCR analysis was employed to validate RNA-seq data. The results showed that adipocyte area increased and adipocyte number decreased with development of backfat tissue. A total of 1,024 DEGs were identified in five comparison groups (120 days vs. 60 days, 180 days vs. 120 days, 240 days vs. 180 days, 300 days vs. 240 days, and 360 days vs. 300 days). The turquoise, red, pink, paleturquoise, darkorange, and darkgreen module had the highest correlation coefficient with 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360 days developmental stage, while the tan, black and turquoise module had strong relationship with backfat thickness, adipocyte area, and adipocyte number, respectively. Thirteen hub genes (ACSL1, ACOX1, FN1, DCN, CHST13, COL1A1, COL1A2, COL6A3, COL5A1, COL14A1, OAZ3, DNM1, and SELP) were recognized. ACSL1 and ACOX1 might perform function in the early developmental stage of backfat tissue (60 days), and FN1, DCN, COL1A1, COL1A2, COL5A1, COL6A3, and COL14A1 have unignorable position in backfat tissue around 120 days developmental stage. Besides, hub genes SELP and DNM1 in modules significantly associated with backfat thickness and adipocyte area might be involved in the process of backfat tissue development. These findings contribute to understand the integrated mechanism underlying backfat tissue development and promote the progress of genetic improvement in Ningxiang pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Department of Pig Breeding, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Genetic Analysis of Indigenous Pigs, Hunan Institute of Animal and Veterinary Science, Changsha, China
| | - Huibo Ren
- Department of Pig Breeding, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Genetic Analysis of Indigenous Pigs, Hunan Institute of Animal and Veterinary Science, Changsha, China
| | - Huali Li
- Department of Pig Breeding, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Genetic Analysis of Indigenous Pigs, Hunan Institute of Animal and Veterinary Science, Changsha, China
| | - Yuan Deng
- Department of Pig Breeding, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Genetic Analysis of Indigenous Pigs, Hunan Institute of Animal and Veterinary Science, Changsha, China
| | - Qingming Cui
- Department of Pig Breeding, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Genetic Analysis of Indigenous Pigs, Hunan Institute of Animal and Veterinary Science, Changsha, China
| | - Ji Zhu
- Department of Pig Breeding, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Genetic Analysis of Indigenous Pigs, Hunan Institute of Animal and Veterinary Science, Changsha, China
| | - Siyang Zhang
- Hunan Liushahe Ecological Animal Husbandry Co, Ltd., Changsha, China
| | - Jine Yu
- Hunan Liushahe Ecological Animal Husbandry Co, Ltd., Changsha, China
| | - Huiming Wang
- Hunan Liushahe Ecological Animal Husbandry Co, Ltd., Changsha, China
| | - Xiaodan Yu
- Hunan Liushahe Ecological Animal Husbandry Co, Ltd., Changsha, China
| | - Shiliu Yang
- Hunan Liushahe Ecological Animal Husbandry Co, Ltd., Changsha, China
| | - Xionggui Hu
- Department of Pig Breeding, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Genetic Analysis of Indigenous Pigs, Hunan Institute of Animal and Veterinary Science, Changsha, China
| | - Yinglin Peng
- Department of Pig Breeding, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Genetic Analysis of Indigenous Pigs, Hunan Institute of Animal and Veterinary Science, Changsha, China
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
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Hodge MJ, de Las Heras-Saldana S, Rindfleish SJ, Stephen CP, Pant SD. QTLs and Candidate Genes Associated with Semen Traits in Merino Sheep. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2286. [PMID: 37508063 PMCID: PMC10376747 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Ram semen traits play a significant role in conception outcomes, which in turn may influence reproductive efficiency and the overall productivity and profitability of sheep enterprises. Since hundreds of ewes may be inseminated from a single ejaculate, it is important to evaluate semen quality prior to use in sheep breeding programs. Given that semen traits have been found to be heritable, genetic variation likely contributes to the variability observed in these traits. Identifying such genetic variants could provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying variability in semen traits. Therefore, this study aimed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with semen traits in Merino sheep. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was undertaken using 4506 semen collection records from 246 Merino rams collected between January 2002 and May 2021. The R package RepeatABEL was used to perform a GWAS for semen volume, gross motility, concentration, and percent post-thaw motility. A total of 35 QTLs, located on 16 Ovis aries autosomes (OARs), were significantly associated with either of the four semen traits in this study. A total of 89, 95, 33, and 73 candidate genes were identified, via modified Bonferroni, within the QTLs significantly associated with volume, gross motility, concentration, and percent post-thaw motility, respectively. Among the candidate genes identified, SORD, SH2B1, and NT5E have been previously described to significantly influence spermatogenesis, spermatozoal motility, and high percent post-thaw motility, respectively. Several candidate genes identified could potentially influence ram semen traits based on existing evidence in the literature. As such, validation of these putative candidates may offer the potential to develop future strategies to improve sheep reproductive efficiency. Furthermore, Merino ram semen traits are lowly heritable (0.071-0.139), and thus may be improved by selective breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marnie J Hodge
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
- Apiam Animal Health, Apiam Genetic Services, Dubbo, NSW 2830, Australia
| | - Sara de Las Heras-Saldana
- Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit, a Joint Venture of NSW Department of Primary Industries and University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | | | - Cyril P Stephen
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
- Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Boorooma Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
| | - Sameer D Pant
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
- Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Boorooma Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
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Zhou GL, Xu FJ, Qiao JK, Che ZX, Xiang T, Liu XL, Li XY, Zhao SH, Zhu MJ. E-GWAS: an ensemble-like GWAS strategy that provides effective control over false positive rates without decreasing true positives. Genet Sel Evol 2023; 55:46. [PMID: 37407918 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-023-00820-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are an effective way to explore genotype-phenotype associations in humans, animals, and plants. Various GWAS methods have been developed based on different genetic or statistical assumptions. However, no single method is optimal for all traits and, for many traits, the putative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are detected by the different methods do not entirely overlap due to the diversity of the genetic architecture of complex traits. Therefore, multi-tool-based GWAS strategies that combine different methods have been increasingly employed. To take this one step further, we propose an ensemble-like GWAS strategy (E-GWAS) that statistically integrates GWAS results from different single GWAS methods. RESULTS E-GWAS was compared with various single GWAS methods using simulated phenotype traits with different genetic architectures. E-GWAS performed stably across traits with different genetic architectures and effectively controlled the number of false positive genetic variants detected without decreasing the number of true positive variants. In addition, its performance could be further improved by using a bin-merged strategy and the addition of more distinct single GWAS methods. Our results show that the numbers of true and false positive SNPs detected by the E-GWAS strategy slightly increased and decreased, respectively, with increasing bin size and when the number and the diversity of individual GWAS methods that were integrated in E-GWAS increased, the latter being more effective than the bin-merged strategy. The E-GWAS strategy was also applied to a real dataset to study backfat thickness in a pig population, and 10 candidate genes related to this trait and expressed in adipose-associated tissues were identified. CONCLUSIONS Using both simulated and real datasets, we show that E-GWAS is a reliable and robust strategy that effectively integrates the GWAS results of different methods and reduces the number of false positive SNPs without decreasing that of true positive SNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Liang Zhou
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Fang-Jun Xu
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Jia-Kun Qiao
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Zhao-Xuan Che
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Tao Xiang
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xiao-Lei Liu
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xin-Yun Li
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Shu-Hong Zhao
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Meng-Jin Zhu
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
- The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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Gòdia M, Lian Y, Naval-Sanchez M, Ponte I, Rodríguez-Gil JE, Sanchez A, Clop A. Micrococcal nuclease sequencing of porcine sperm suggests enriched co-location between retained histones and genomic regions related to semen quality and early embryo development. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15520. [PMID: 37361042 PMCID: PMC10290446 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15520] [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: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The mammalian spermatozoon has a unique chromatin structure in which the majority of histones are replaced by protamines during spermatogenesis and a small fraction of nucleosomes are retained at specific locations of the genome. The sperm's chromatin structure remains unresolved in most animal species, including the pig. However, mapping the genomic locations of retained nucleosomes in sperm could help understanding the molecular basis of both sperm development and function as well as embryo development. This information could then be useful to identify molecular markers for sperm quality and fertility traits. Here, micrococcal nuclease digestion coupled with high throughput sequencing was performed on pig sperm to map the genomic location of mono- and sub-nucleosomal chromatin fractions in relation to a set of diverse functional elements of the genome, some of which were related to semen quality and early embryogenesis. In particular, the investigated elements were promoters, the different sections of the gene body, coding and non-coding RNAs present in the pig sperm, potential transcription factor binding sites, genomic regions associated to semen quality traits and repeat elements. The analysis yielded 25,293 and 4,239 peaks in the mono- and sub-nucleosomal fractions, covering 0.3% and 0.02% of the porcine genome, respectively. A cross-species comparison revealed positional conservation of the nucleosome retention in sperm between the pig data and a human dataset that found nucleosome enrichment in genomic regions of importance in development. Both gene ontology analysis of the genes mapping nearby the mono-nucleosomal peaks and the identification of putative transcription factor binding motifs within the mono- and the sub- nucleosomal peaks showed enrichment for processes related to sperm function and embryo development. There was significant motif enrichment for Znf263, which in humans was suggested to be a key regulator of genes with paternal preferential expression during early embryogenesis. Moreover, enriched positional intersection was found in the genome between the mono-nucleosomal peaks and both the RNAs present in pig sperm and the RNAs related to sperm quality. There was no co-location between GWAS hits for semen quality in swine and the nucleosomal sites. Finally, the data evidenced depletion of mono-nucleosomes in long interspersed nuclear elements and enrichment of sub-nucleosomes in short interspersed repeat elements.These results suggest that retained nucleosomes in sperm could both mark regulatory elements or genes expressed during spermatogenesis linked to semen quality and fertility and act as transcriptional guides during early embryogenesis. The results of this study support the undertaking of ambitious research using a larger number of samples to robustly assess the positional relationship between histone retention in sperm and the reproductive ability of boars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gòdia
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
- Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen University and Research, Wageninger, Netherlands
| | - Yu Lian
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Inma Ponte
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joan Enric Rodríguez-Gil
- Animal Medicine and Surgery, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Armand Sanchez
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
- Animal and food sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alex Clop
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Cerdanyola del Vallés, Catalonia, Spain
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Miao Y, Zhao Y, Wan S, Mei Q, Wang H, Fu C, Li X, Zhao S, Xu X, Xiang T. Integrated analysis of genome-wide association studies and 3D epigenomic characteristics reveal the BMP2 gene regulating loin muscle depth in Yorkshire pigs. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010820. [PMID: 37339141 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The lack of integrated analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and 3D epigenomics restricts a deep understanding of the genetic mechanisms of meat-related traits. With the application of techniques as ChIP-seq and Hi-C, the annotations of cis-regulatory elements in the pig genome have been established, which offers a new opportunity to elucidate the genetic mechanisms and identify major genetic variants and candidate genes that are significantly associated with important economic traits. Among these traits, loin muscle depth (LMD) is an important one as it impacts the lean meat content. In this study, we integrated cis-regulatory elements and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify candidate genes and genetic variants regulating LMD. RESULTS Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located on porcine chromosome 17 were significantly associated with LMD in Yorkshire pigs. A 10 kb quantitative trait locus (QTL) was identified as a candidate functional genomic region through the integration of linkage disequilibrium and linkage analysis (LDLA) and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) analysis. The BMP2 gene was identified as a candidate gene for LMD based on the integrated results of GWAS, Hi-C meta-analysis, and cis-regulatory element data. The identified QTL region was further verified through target region sequencing. Furthermore, through using dual-luciferase assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), two SNPs, including SNP rs321846600, located in the enhancer region, and SNP rs1111440035, located in the promoter region, were identified as candidate SNPs that may be functionally related to the LMD. CONCLUSIONS Based on the results of GWAS, Hi-C, and cis-regulatory elements, the BMP2 gene was identified as an important candidate gene regulating variation in LMD. The SNPs rs321846600 and rs1111440035 were identified as candidate SNPs that are functionally related to the LMD of Yorkshire pigs. Our results shed light on the advantages of integrating GWAS with 3D epigenomics in identifying candidate genes for quantitative traits. This study is a pioneering work for the identification of candidate genes and related genetic variants regulating one key production trait (LMD) in pigs by integrating genome-wide association studies and 3D epigenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxin Miao
- Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jingchu University of Technology, Jingmen, China
| | - Yunxia Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Siqi Wan
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Quanshun Mei
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Heng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chuanke Fu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinyun Li
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuhong Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuewen Xu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tao Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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Li W, Mi S, Zhang J, Liu X, Chen S, Liu S, Feng X, Tang Y, Li Y, Liu L, Fang L, Zhang S, Yu Y. Integrating sperm cell transcriptome and seminal plasma metabolome to analyze the molecular regulatory mechanism of sperm motility in Holstein stud bulls. J Anim Sci 2023; 101:skad214. [PMID: 37366074 PMCID: PMC10355371 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skad214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Considering that artificial insemination is the most widely used assisted reproductive technique in the dairy industry, the semen quality of bulls is very important for selecting excellent stud bulls. Sperm motility is one of the important traits of semen quality, and related genes may be regulated by environmental factors. Seminal plasma can affect sperm cell transcriptome and further affect sperm motility through exosome or other processes. However, the molecular regulation mechanism of bull sperm motility has not been studied by combining the sperm cell transcriptome with seminal plasma metabolome. The number of motile sperm per ejaculate (NMSPE) is an integrated indicator for assessing sperm motility in stud bulls. In the present study, we selected 7 bulls with higher NMSPE (5,698.55 million +/- 945.40 million) as group H and 7 bulls with lower NMSPE (2,279.76 million +/- 1,305.69 million) as group L from 53 Holstein stud bulls. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in sperm cells were evaluated between the two groups (H vs. L). We conducted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) on H and L groups of bulls, as well as two monozygotic twin Holstein bulls with different NMSPE values, to screen candidate genes for NMSPE. The regulatory effect of seminal plasma metabolome on the candidate genes of NMSPE was also investigated. A total of 1,099 DEGs were identified in the sperm cells of H and L groups. These DEGs were primarily concentrated in energy metabolism and sperm cell transcription. The significantly enriched Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathways of the 57 differential metabolites were the aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway and vitamin B6 metabolism pathway. Our study discovered 14 genes as the potential candidate markers for sperm motility, including FBXO39. We observed a broad correlation between transcriptome of sperm cells and seminal plasma metabolome, such as three metabolites, namely, mesaconic acid, 2-coumaric acid, and 4-formylaminoantipyrine, might regulate FBXO39 expression through potential pathways. The genes related to seminal plasma metabolites expressed in sperm cells are not only located near the quantitative trait loci of reproductive traits, but also enriched in the genome-wide association study signal of sire conception rate. Collectively, this study was the first to investigate the interplays among transcriptome of sperm cells and seminal plasma metabolome from Holstein stud bulls with different sperm motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlong Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Siyuan Mi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jinning Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xueqin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Siqian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shuli Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Xia Feng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yongjie Tang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yanhua Li
- Beijing Dairy Cattle Center, Qinghe’nanzhen Deshengmenwai Road, Beijing 100192, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Beijing Dairy Cattle Center, Qinghe’nanzhen Deshengmenwai Road, Beijing 100192, China
| | - Lingzhao Fang
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics (QGG), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Shengli Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Ying Yu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs & National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Investigation of the mechanisms leading to human sperm DNA damage based on transcriptome analysis by RNA-seq techniques. Reprod Biomed Online 2023; 46:11-19. [PMID: 36272896 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2022.08.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION What are the molecular mechanisms leading to human sperm DNA damage? DESIGN Semen samples were collected and the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was assessed. Differentially expressed RNA in spermatozoa with a high (DFI ≥30%, experimental group) or normal (DFI <30%, control group) DFI were identified by RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis was performed. Three differentially expressed RNA related to sperm DNA damage and repair, namely PMS1, TP53BP1 and TLK2, were validated using real-time quantitative (RT-qPCR). RESULTS A total of 19,970 expressed RNA were detected in the two groups. Compared with the control group, the expression levels of 189 RNA in the experimental group were significantly increased and those of 163 genes decreased. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis showed that these RNA were mainly concentrated in the ATPase-dependent transmembrane transport complex, extracellular exosome, somatic cell DNA recombination, protein binding, cytoplasm and regulation of localization. KEGG pathway analysis showed that these RNA were mainly related to the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway, endocytosis, p53 signalling pathway and cGMP-PKG signalling pathway. The RT-qPCR results showed that the expression levels of PMS1, TP53BP1 and TLK2 in the experimental group were significantly lower than in the control group (P = 0.01, 0.015 and 0.004, respectively), which was identical to the results of RNA sequencing. CONCLUSIONS Differentially expressed RNA related to sperm DNA damage and repair may be identified by RNA-seq technology, which provides new insights into the understanding of sperm DNA damage and repair, and will help to discover new biomarkers related to sperm DNA damage.
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Circ-CREBBP inhibits sperm apoptosis via the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway by sponging miR-10384 and miR-143-3p. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1339. [PMID: 36476986 PMCID: PMC9729231 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04263-2] [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: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Male reproductive diseases are becoming increasingly prominent, and sperm quality is an important indicator to reflect these diseases. Seminal plasma extracellular vesicles (SPEVs) are involved in sperm motility. However, their effects on sperm remain unclear. Here, we identified 222 differentially expressed circRNAs in SPEVs between boars with high or low sperm motility. We found that circ-CREBBP promoted sperm motility and inhibited sperm apoptosis by sponging miR-10384 and miR-143-3p. In addition, miR-10384 and miR-143-3p can regulate the expression of MCL1, CREB1 and CREBBP. Furthermore, we demonstrated that MCL1 interacted directly with BAX and that CREBBP interacted with CREB1 in sperm. We showed that inhibition of circ-CREBBP can reduce the expression of MCL1, CREB1 and CREBBP and increase the expression of BAX and CASP3, thus promoting sperm apoptosis. Our results suggest that circ-CREBBP may be a promising biomarker and therapeutic target for male reproductive diseases.
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Hamilton M, Russell S, Menezes K, Moskovtsev SI, Librach C. Assessing spermatozoal small ribonucleic acids and their relationship to blastocyst development in idiopathic infertile males. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20010. [PMID: 36411317 PMCID: PMC9678953 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24568-w] [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: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical testing strategies for diagnosing male factor infertility are limited. A deeper analysis of spermatozoa-derived factors could potentially diagnose some cases of 'unexplained infertility'. Spermatozoa carry a rich and dynamic profile of small RNAs, which have demonstrated potential developmental importance and association with fertility status. We used next-generation sequencing to correlate sperm small RNA profiles of normozoospermic males (n = 54) with differing blastocyst development rates, when using young donor oocytes. While ribosomal RNAs accounted for the highest number of sequencing reads, transfer RNA fragments of tRNAGly/GCC and tRNAVal-CAC were the most abundant sequences across all sperm samples. A total of 324 small RNAs were differentially expressed between samples with high (n = 18) and low (n = 14) blastocyst rates (p-adj < 0.05). Ninety three miRNAs were differentially expressed between these groups (p-adj < 0.05). Differentially expressed transfer RNA fragments included: 5'-tRF-Asp-GTC; 5'-tRF-Phe-GAA; and 3'-tRF-Ser-GCA. Differentially expressed miRNAs included: let-7f-2-5p; miR-4755-3p; and miR-92a-3p. This study provides the foundation on which to validate a clinical panel of fertility-related sperm small RNAs, as well as to pursue potential mechanisms through which they alter blastocyst development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Karen Menezes
- grid.490031.fCReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Sergey I. Moskovtsev
- grid.490031.fCReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Clifford Librach
- grid.490031.fCReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Physiology and Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON Canada
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Li J, Khatab AA, Hu L, Zhao L, Yang J, Wang L, Xie G. Genome-Wide Association Mapping Identifies New Candidate Genes for Cold Stress and Chilling Acclimation at Seedling Stage in Rice ( Oryza sativa L.). Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113208. [PMID: 36361995 PMCID: PMC9655271 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a chilling-sensitive staple food crop, and thus, low temperature significantly affects rice growth and yield. Many studies have focused on the cold shock of rice although chilling acclimation is more likely to happen in the field. In this paper, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was used to identify the genes that participated in cold stress and chilling accumulation. A total of 235 significantly associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. Among them, we detected 120 and 88 SNPs for the relative shoot fresh weight under cold stress and chilling acclimation, respectively. Furthermore, 11 and 12 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified for cold stress and chilling acclimation, respectively, by integrating the co-localized SNPs. Interestingly, we identified 10 and 15 candidate genes in 11 and 12 QTLs involved in cold stress and chilling acclimation, respectively, and two new candidate genes (LOC_Os01g62410, LOC_Os12g24490) were obviously up-regulated under chilling acclimation. Furthermore, OsMYB3R-2 (LOC_Os01g62410) that encodes a R1R2R3 MYB gene was associated with cold tolerance, while a new C3HC4-type zinc finger protein-encoding gene LOC_Os12g24490 was found to function as a putative E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase in rice. Moreover, haplotype, distribution, and Wright’s fixation index (FST) of both genes showed that haplotype 3 of LOC_Os12g24490 is more stable in chilling acclimation, and the SNP (A > T) showed a difference in latitudinal distribution. FST analysis of SNPs in OsMYB3R-2 (LOC_Os01g62410) and LOC_Os12g24490 indicated that several SNPs were under selection in rice indica and japonica subspecies. This study provided new candidate genes in genetic improvement of chilling acclimation response in rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation & Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Ahmed Adel Khatab
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lihua Hu
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Life Science & Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Liyan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation & Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jiangyi Yang
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Life Science & Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Lingqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation & Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Guosheng Xie
- College of Plant Science & Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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11
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Addo S, Jung L. An insight into the runs of homozygosity distribution and breed differentiation in Mangalitsa pigs. Front Genet 2022; 13:909986. [DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.909986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mangalitsa pigs exhibit three distinct coat color patterns based on which they are described as Red, Blond, and Swallow-bellied. The current study investigated genome-wide diversity and selection signatures in the three breeds using fixation index, runs of homozygosity and population structure analyses. The analyses were originally based on quality-controlled data on 77 Mangalitsa animals from Germany, including 23 Blond, 30 Swallow-bellied and 24 Red Mangalitsa genotyped with a customized version of the ProcineSNP60 v2 Genotyping Bead Chip. Also, 20 Hungarian Mangalitsa genotypes were included as outgroup data for comparison. Estimates of observed heterozygosity were 0.27, 0.28, and 0.29, and inbreeding coefficients estimated based on runs of homozygosity were 24.11%, 20.82%, and 16.34% for Blond, Swallow-bellied and Red Mangalitsa, respectively. ROH islands were detected in all breeds, however, none of these were shared amongst them. The KIF16B gene previously reported to play a role in synaptic signaling was found in a ROH island (SSC17: 16–26) in Swallow-bellied Mangalitsa. The same gene was found to harbor a significantly differentiated SNP (MARC0032380) while contrasting either Blond or Red to Swallow-belied Mangalitsa. In the Red Mangalitsa, some ROH islands were associated with genes that play a role in meat quality traits, i.e., ABCA12, VIL1, PLSCR5, and USP37. Our population structure analysis highlighted a separation of the three breeds, but also showed the closest relatedness between Red and Blond Mangalitsa pigs. Findings of this study improve our understanding of the diversity in the three breeds of Mangalitsa pigs.
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12
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Das AC, Foroutan A, Qian B, Hosseini Naghavi N, Shabani K, Shooshtari P. Single-Cell Chromatin Accessibility Data Combined with GWAS Improves Detection of Relevant Cell Types in 59 Complex Phenotypes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911456. [PMID: 36232752 PMCID: PMC9570273 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several disease risk variants reside on non-coding regions of DNA, particularly in open chromatin regions of specific cell types. Identifying the cell types relevant to complex traits through the integration of chromatin accessibility data and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data can help to elucidate the mechanisms of these traits. In this study, we created a collection of associations between the combinations of chromatin accessibility data (bulk and single-cell) with an array of 201 complex phenotypes. We integrated the GWAS data of these 201 phenotypes with bulk chromatin accessibility data from 137 cell types measured by DNase-I hypersensitive sequencing and found significant results (FDR adjusted p-value ≤ 0.05) for at least one cell type in 21 complex phenotypes, such as atopic dermatitis, Graves’ disease, and body mass index. With the integration of single-cell chromatin accessibility data measured by an assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (scATAC-seq), taken from 111 adult and 111 fetal cell types, the resolution of association was magnified, enabling the identification of further cell types. This resulted in the identification of significant correlations (FDR adjusted p-value ≤ 0.05) between 15 categories of single-cell subtypes and 59 phenotypes ranging from autoimmune diseases like Graves’ disease to cardiovascular traits like diastolic/systolic blood pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akash Chandra Das
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, India
| | - Aidin Foroutan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
| | - Brian Qian
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
| | - Nader Hosseini Naghavi
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Kayvan Shabani
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Parisa Shooshtari
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Children’s Health Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2R5, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Yin Y, Hou L, Liu C, Li K, Guo H, Niu P, Li Q, Huang R, Li P. Genome-Wide Association Study Identified a Quantitative Trait Locus and Two Candidate Genes on Sus scrofa Chromosome 2 Affecting Vulvar Traits of Suhuai Pigs. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081294. [PMID: 35893031 PMCID: PMC9330916 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Vulvar size and angle are meaningful traits in pig production. Sows with abnormal vulva generally show reproductive disorders. In order to excavate candidate loci and genes associated with pig’s vulvar traits, 270 Suhuai pigs with vulvar phenotype were genotyped by a porcine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) Chip. Then, Chip data were imputed using resequenced data of 30 Suhuai pigs as a reference panel. Next, we estimated the heritability and performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for vulvar traits. The heritabilities for the traits vulvar length (VL), vulvar width (VW) and vulvar angle (VA) in this pig population were 0.23, 0.32 and 0.22, respectively. GWAS based on Chip data identified nine significant SNPs on the Sus scrofa chromosomes (SSC) 2, 7, 9 and 13 for VL or VW. GWAS based on imputed data identified 11 new quantitative trait loci (QTL) on SSC1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 16 and 17 for VL or VW. The most significant QTL for VL on SSC2 were refined to a 3.48–3.97 Mb region using linkage disequilibrium and linkage analysis (LDLA). In this refined region, FGF19 and CCND1, involved in the development of the reproductive tract, cell growth and vulvar cancer, could be new candidate genes affecting VL. Our results provided potential genetic markers for the breeding of vulvar traits in pigs and deepened the understanding of the genetic mechanism of vulvar traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhen Yin
- Institute of Swine Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.); (C.L.); (K.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
- Key Laboratory in Nanjing for Evaluation and Utilization of Livestock and Poultry (Pigs) Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Liming Hou
- Institute of Swine Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.); (C.L.); (K.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
- Key Laboratory in Nanjing for Evaluation and Utilization of Livestock and Poultry (Pigs) Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Huaian Academy, Nanjing Agricultural University, Huaian 223005, China;
| | - Chenxi Liu
- Institute of Swine Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.); (C.L.); (K.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
- Key Laboratory in Nanjing for Evaluation and Utilization of Livestock and Poultry (Pigs) Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Kaijun Li
- Institute of Swine Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.); (C.L.); (K.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
- Key Laboratory in Nanjing for Evaluation and Utilization of Livestock and Poultry (Pigs) Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Hao Guo
- Institute of Swine Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.); (C.L.); (K.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
- Key Laboratory in Nanjing for Evaluation and Utilization of Livestock and Poultry (Pigs) Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Peipei Niu
- Huaian Academy, Nanjing Agricultural University, Huaian 223005, China;
| | - Qiang Li
- Huaiyin Pig Breeding Farm of Huaian City, Huaian 223322, China;
| | - Ruihua Huang
- Institute of Swine Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.); (C.L.); (K.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
- Key Laboratory in Nanjing for Evaluation and Utilization of Livestock and Poultry (Pigs) Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Huaian Academy, Nanjing Agricultural University, Huaian 223005, China;
| | - Pinghua Li
- Institute of Swine Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.); (C.L.); (K.L.); (H.G.); (R.H.)
- Key Laboratory in Nanjing for Evaluation and Utilization of Livestock and Poultry (Pigs) Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Areas, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Huaian Academy, Nanjing Agricultural University, Huaian 223005, China;
- Correspondence:
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14
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Mohamed AR, Naval-Sanchez M, Menzies M, Evans B, King H, Reverter A, Kijas JW. Leveraging transcriptome and epigenome landscapes to infer regulatory networks during the onset of sexual maturation. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:413. [PMID: 35650521 PMCID: PMC9158274 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08514-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite sexual development being ubiquitous to vertebrates, the molecular mechanisms underpinning this fundamental transition remain largely undocumented in many organisms. We designed a time course experiment that successfully sampled the period when Atlantic salmon commence their trajectory towards sexual maturation. Results Through deep RNA sequencing, we discovered key genes and pathways associated with maturation in the pituitary-ovarian axis. Analyzing DNA methylomes revealed a bias towards hypermethylation in ovary that implicated maturation-related genes. Co-analysis of DNA methylome and gene expression changes revealed chromatin remodeling genes and key transcription factors were both significantly hypermethylated and upregulated in the ovary during the onset of maturation. We also observed changes in chromatin state landscapes that were strongly correlated with fundamental remodeling of gene expression in liver. Finally, a multiomic integrated analysis revealed regulatory networks and identified hub genes including TRIM25 gene (encoding the estrogen-responsive finger protein) as a putative key regulator in the pituitary that underwent a 60-fold change in connectivity during the transition to maturation. Conclusion The study successfully documented transcriptome and epigenome changes that involved key genes and pathways acting in the pituitary – ovarian axis. Using a Systems Biology approach, we identified hub genes and their associated networks deemed crucial for onset of maturation. The results provide a comprehensive view of the spatiotemporal changes involved in a complex trait and opens the door to future efforts aiming to manipulate puberty in an economically important aquaculture species. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08514-8.
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15
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Multi-Omics Integration and Network Analysis Reveal Potential Hub Genes and Genetic Mechanisms Regulating Bovine Mastitis. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44:309-328. [PMID: 35723402 PMCID: PMC8928958 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mastitis, inflammation of the mammary gland, is the most prevalent disease in dairy cattle that has a potential impact on profitability and animal welfare. Specifically designed multi-omics studies can be used to prioritize candidate genes and identify biomarkers and the molecular mechanisms underlying mastitis in dairy cattle. Hence, the present study aimed to explore the genetic basis of bovine mastitis by integrating microarray and RNA-Seq data containing healthy and mastitic samples in comparative transcriptome analysis with the results of published genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using a literature mining approach. The integration of different information sources resulted in the identification of 33 common and relevant genes associated with bovine mastitis. Among these, seven genes—CXCR1, HCK, IL1RN, MMP9, S100A9, GRO1, and SOCS3—were identified as the hub genes (highly connected genes) for mastitis susceptibility and resistance, and were subjected to protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and gene regulatory network construction. Gene ontology annotation and enrichment analysis revealed 23, 7, and 4 GO terms related to mastitis in the biological process, molecular function, and cellular component categories, respectively. Moreover, the main metabolic-signalling pathways responsible for the regulation of immune or inflammatory responses were significantly enriched in cytokine–cytokine-receptor interaction, the IL-17 signaling pathway, viral protein interaction with cytokines and cytokine receptors, and the chemokine signaling pathway. Consequently, the identification of these genes, pathways, and their respective functions could contribute to a better understanding of the genetics and mechanisms regulating mastitis and can be considered a starting point for future studies on bovine mastitis.
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16
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Deng TX, Ma XY, Lu XR, Duan AQ, Shokrollahi B, Shang JH. Signatures of selection reveal candidate genes involved in production traits in Chinese crossbred buffaloes. J Dairy Sci 2021; 105:1327-1337. [PMID: 34955275 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Identification of selection signature is important for a better understanding of genetic mechanisms that affect phenotypic differentiation in livestock. However, the genome-wide selection responses have not been investigated for the production traits of Chinese crossbred buffaloes. In this study, an SNP data set of 133 buffaloes (Chinese crossbred buffalo, n = 45; Chinese local swamp buffalo, n = 88) was collected from the Dryad Digital Repository database (https://datadryad.org/stash/). Population genetics analysis showed that these buffaloes were divided into the following 2 groups: crossbred buffalo and swamp buffalo. The crossbred group had higher genetic diversity than the swamp group. Using 3 complementary statistical methods (integrated haplotype score, cross population extended haplotype homozygosity, and composite likelihood ratio), a total of 31 candidate selection regions were identified in the Chinese crossbred population. Here, within these candidate regions, 25 genes were under the putative selection. Among them, several candidate genes were reported to be associated with production traits. In addition, we identified 13 selection regions that overlapped with bovine QTLs that were mainly involved in milk production and composition traits. These results can provide useful insights regarding the selection response for production traits of Chinese crossbred buffalo, as identified candidate genes influence production performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- T X Deng
- Key Laboratory of Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction Technology, Buffalo Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530001, China.
| | - X Y Ma
- Key Laboratory of Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction Technology, Buffalo Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530001, China
| | - X R Lu
- Key Laboratory of Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction Technology, Buffalo Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530001, China
| | - A Q Duan
- Key Laboratory of Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction Technology, Buffalo Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530001, China
| | - Borhan Shokrollahi
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran 5595-73919
| | - J H Shang
- Key Laboratory of Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction Technology, Buffalo Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530001, China.
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Mei Q, Fu C, Sahana G, Chen Y, Yin L, Miao Y, Zhao S, Xiang T. Identification of new semen trait-related candidate genes in Duroc boars through genome-wide association and weighted gene co-expression network analyses. J Anim Sci 2021; 99:6295821. [PMID: 34110414 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skab188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Semen traits are crucial in commercial pig production since semen from boars is widely used in artificial insemination for both purebred and crossbred pig production. Revealing the genetic architecture of semen traits potentially promotes the efficiencies of improving semen traits through artificial selection. This study is aimed to identify candidate genes related to the semen traits in Duroc boars. First, we identified the genes that were significantly associated with three semen traits, including sperm motility (MO), sperm concentration (CON), and semen volume (VOL) in a Duroc boar population through a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Second, we performed a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). A total of 2, 3, and 20 single-nucleotide polymorphisms were found to be significantly associated with MO, CON, and VOL, respectively. Based on the haplotype block analysis, we identified one genetic region associated with MO, which explained 6.15% of the genetic trait variance. ENSSSCG00000018823 located within this region was considered as the candidate gene for regulating MO. Another genetic region explaining 1.95% of CON genetic variance was identified, and, in this region, B9D2, PAFAH1B3, TMEM145, and CIC were detected as the CON-related candidate genes. Two genetic regions that accounted for 2.23% and 2.48% of VOL genetic variance were identified, and, in these two regions, WWC2, CDKN2AIP, ING2, TRAPPC11, STOX2, and PELO were identified as VOL-related candidate genes. WGCNA analysis showed that, among these candidate genes, B9D2, TMEM145, WWC2, CDKN2AIP, TRAPPC11, and PELO were located within the most significant module eigengenes, confirming these candidate genes' role in regulating semen traits in Duroc boars. The identification of these candidate genes can help to better understand the genetic architecture of semen traits in boars. Our findings can be applied for semen traits improvement in Duroc boars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanshun Mei
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Chuanke Fu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Goutam Sahana
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, Tjele 8830, Denmark
| | - Yilong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.,Center of Breeding Production, Guangxi Yangxiang Agriculture and Husbandry Co., LTD , Guigang 537100, China
| | - Lilin Yin
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yuanxin Miao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.,School of Biological Engineering, Jingchu University of Technology, Jingmen 448000, China
| | - Shuhong Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Tao Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education & Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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18
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Lian Y, Gòdia M, Castello A, Rodriguez-Gil JE, Balasch S, Sanchez A, Clop A. Characterization of the Impact of Density Gradient Centrifugation on the Profile of the Pig Sperm Transcriptome by RNA-Seq. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:668158. [PMID: 34350225 PMCID: PMC8326511 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.668158] [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: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-Seq data from human semen suggests that the study of the sperm transcriptome requires the previous elimination from the ejaculates of somatic cells carrying a larger load of RNA. Semen purification is also carried to study the sperm transcriptome in other species including swine and it is often done by density gradient centrifugation to obtain viable spermatozoa from fresh ejaculates or artificial insemination doses, thereby limiting the throughput and remoteness of the samples that can be processed in one study. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of purification with density gradient centrifugation by BoviPureTM on porcine sperm. Four boar ejaculates were purified with BoviPureTM and their transcriptome sequenced by RNA-Seq was compared with the RNA-Seq profiles of their paired non-purified sample. Seven thousand five hundred and nineteen protein coding genes were identified. Correlation, cluster, and principal component analysis indicated high—although not complete—similarity between the purified and the paired non-purified ejaculates. 372 genes displayed differentially abundant RNA levels between treatments. Most of these genes had lower abundances after purification and were mostly related to translation, transcription and metabolic processes. We detected a significant change in the proportion of genes of epididymal origin within the differentially abundant genes (1.3%) when compared with the catalog of unaltered genes (0.2%). In contrast, the proportion of testis-specific genes was higher in the group of unaltered genes (4%) when compared to the list of differentially abundant genes (0%). No proportion differences were identified for prostate, white blood, lymph node, tonsil, duodenum, skeletal muscle, liver, and mammary gland. Altogether, these results suggest that the purification impacts on the RNA levels of a small number of genes which are most likely caused by the removal of epididymal epithelial cells but also premature germinal cells, immature or abnormal spermatozoa or seminal exosomes with a distinct load of RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Lian
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Gòdia
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Castello
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain.,Unit of Animal Science, Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Enric Rodriguez-Gil
- Unit of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Armand Sanchez
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain.,Unit of Animal Science, Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex Clop
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain.,Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona, Spain
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Rodriguez-Martinez H, Martinez EA, Calvete JJ, Peña Vega FJ, Roca J. Seminal Plasma: Relevant for Fertility? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094368. [PMID: 33922047 PMCID: PMC8122421 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Seminal plasma (SP), the non-cellular component of semen, is a heterogeneous composite fluid built by secretions of the testis, the epididymis and the accessory sexual glands. Its composition, despite species-specific anatomical peculiarities, consistently contains inorganic ions, specific hormones, proteins and peptides, including cytokines and enzymes, cholesterol, DNA and RNA-the latter often protected within epididymis- or prostate-derived extracellular vesicles. It is beyond question that the SP participates in diverse aspects of sperm function pre-fertilization events. The SP also interacts with the various compartments of the tubular genital tract, triggering changes in gene function that prepares for an eventual successful pregnancy; thus, it ultimately modulates fertility. Despite these concepts, it is imperative to remember that SP-free spermatozoa (epididymal or washed ejaculated) are still fertile, so this review shall focus on the differences between the in vivo roles of the SP following semen deposition in the female and those regarding additions of SP on spermatozoa handled for artificial reproduction, including cryopreservation, from artificial insemination to in vitro fertilization. This review attempts, including our own results on model animal species, to critically summarize the current knowledge of the reproductive roles played by SP components, particularly in our own species, which is increasingly affected by infertility. The ultimate goal is to reconcile the delicate balance between the SP molecular concentration and their concerted effects after temporal exposure in vivo. We aim to appraise the functions of the SP components, their relevance as diagnostic biomarkers and their value as eventual additives to refine reproductive strategies, including biotechnologies, in livestock models and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heriberto Rodriguez-Martinez
- Department of Biomedical & Clinical Sciences (BKV), BKH/Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE-58185 Linköping, Sweden
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +46-132-869-25
| | - Emilio A. Martinez
- Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (E.A.M.); (J.R.)
| | - Juan J. Calvete
- Laboratorio de Venómica Estructural y Funcional, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia, C.S.I.C., 46010 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Fernando J. Peña Vega
- Laboratory of Equine Reproduction and Equine Spermatology, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 10003 Caceres, Spain;
| | - Jordi Roca
- Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research “Campus Mare Nostrum”, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (E.A.M.); (J.R.)
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