Sheep and Goat Research Department, Animal Production Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt.
Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt.
Genes Genomics. 2024 Jan;46(1):135-148. doi: 10.1007/s13258-023-01464-9. Epub 2023 Nov 20.
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that takes place at gene promoters and a potent epigenetic marker to regulate gene expression.
The study aimed to improve the milk production of Zaraibi goats by addressing the methylation pattern of two milk production-related genes: the growth hormone receptor (GHR) and the growth differentiation factor-9 (GDF-9).
54 and 46 samples of low and high milk yield groups, respectively, were collected. Detection of methylation was assessed in two CpG islands in the GDF-9 promoter via methylation-specific primer assay (MSP) and in one CpG island across the GHR promoter using combined bisulfite restriction analysis (COBRA).
A positive correlation between the methylation pattern of GDF-9 and GHR and their expression levels was reported. Breeding season was significantly effective on both peak milk yield (PMY) and total milk yield (TMY), where March reported a higher significant difference in PMY than November. Whereas single birth was highly significant on TMY than multiple births. The 3rd and 4th parities reported the highest significant difference in PMY, while the 4th parity was the most effective one on TMY.
These results may help improve the farm animals' milk productive efficiency and develop prospective epigenetic markers to improve milk yield by epigenetic marker-assisted selection (eMAS) in goat breeding programs.
DNA 甲基化是一种发生在基因启动子上的表观遗传机制,是调节基因表达的有力表观遗传标记。
本研究旨在通过解决与产奶相关的两个基因:生长激素受体(GHR)和生长分化因子 9(GDF-9)的甲基化模式来提高扎拉比羊的产奶量。
分别收集低产奶量组和高产奶量组的 54 个和 46 个样本。通过甲基化特异性引物分析(MSP)检测 GDF-9 启动子中的两个 CpG 岛,以及通过联合亚硫酸氢盐限制性分析(COBRA)检测 GHR 启动子中的一个 CpG 岛,来检测甲基化情况。
报道了 GDF-9 和 GHR 的甲基化模式与其表达水平之间存在正相关。繁殖季节对高峰产奶量(PMY)和总产奶量(TMY)都有显著影响,其中 3 月 PMY 的差异显著高于 11 月。而单胎产奶量显著高于多胎产奶量。第三和第四胎次在 PMY 方面差异最大,而第四胎次在 TMY 方面效果最好。
这些结果可能有助于提高农场动物的产奶效率,并通过产奶量的表观遗传标记辅助选择(eMAS)在羊的繁殖计划中开发有前景的表观遗传标记。