State Key Laboratory of Pig Genetic Improvement and Production Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China.
Anim Genet. 2021 Oct;52(5):608-620. doi: 10.1111/age.13105. Epub 2021 Jun 28.
Cloned animals are prone to abnormal phenotypes such as enlarged tongue, fetal oversize, and progeria. In the present study, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and mRNA sequencing were performed on tongue and biceps femoris muscles of cloned piglets with and without macroglossia, in an attempt to elucidate the epigenetic causes of the macroglossia phenotype. We identified 14 958 and 18 752 differentially methylated regions in the tongue and biceps femoris muscles, respectively, of macroglossia piglets and these correspond to 4574 and 4772 differentially methylated genes compared with the control group (piglets without macroglossia). Larger methylation difference was found in tongue muscle than in biceps femoris muscle. In total, 114 genes in tongue and 72 genes in biceps femoris muscles were found to be differentially expressed between the two groups. Of these differentially expressed genes in tongue muscle, 31 were also differentially methylated genes, among which DIO3 and ZIC1 were imprinting or predicted imprinting genes. These two and another six overlapping genes (ALDH1A2, MKX, MAB21L2, CA3, RANBP3L, and MYL10) are crucial factors involved in embryonic development or tissue and organ development. GO enrichment analysis suggested possible alteration of these processes. Our study provides novel molecular insights into the formation of macroglossia in cloned pigs.
克隆动物容易出现异常表型，如大舌头、胎儿过大和早衰。本研究对大舌头和正常大小的克隆仔猪的舌和二头肌进行了全基因组亚硫酸氢盐测序和 mRNA 测序，试图阐明大舌头表型的表观遗传原因。我们在大舌头仔猪的舌和二头肌中分别鉴定出了 14958 和 18752 个差异甲基化区域，与对照组（无大舌头仔猪）相比，这些区域分别对应 4574 和 4772 个差异甲基化基因。舌肌中的甲基化差异大于二头肌。在舌和二头肌中，共有 114 个基因和 72 个基因在两组之间存在差异表达。在舌肌中，有 31 个差异表达基因也是差异甲基化基因，其中 DIO3 和 ZIC1 是印迹或预测的印迹基因。这两个和另外六个重叠基因（ALDH1A2、MKX、MAB21L2、CA3、RANBP3L 和 MYL10）是参与胚胎发育或组织和器官发育的关键因素。GO 富集分析表明这些过程可能发生了改变。我们的研究为克隆猪大舌头的形成提供了新的分子见解。
