Molecular Biomarkers for Livestock Production and Sustainability Traits

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biomarkers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (19 May 2023) | Viewed by 3329

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, São Carlos 70770-901, SP, Brazil
Interests: biologia molecular; livestock; gene

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The challenge for the next 50 years in animal production is to increase productivity to meet the food needs of the growing human population, while minimizing environmental impacts.

To achieve this goal, breeding, nutrition, management, and biotechnologies ought to be strategically combined in order to obtain the maximum productivity and the lowest possible natural resource consumption, product loss, and by-product generation.

The selection of livestock to meet these criteria depends on reliable indicators of desirable phenotypes and genotypes, in which molecular markers play an important role.

The advance of methods for massive analysis of molecules, for instance next-generation nucleic acid sequencing; mass spectrometry; and magnetic resonance methods for proteins, lipids, and metabolites, gave rise to the sciences of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics, allowing the development of biomarkers for physiological processes that underpin the desired individual’s performance.

In this Special Issue, we welcome reviews and original research related to the development, validation, and application of molecular markers to improve livestock production and sustainability traits.

Dr. Luciana Correia de Almeida Regitano
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2306 KiB  
Article
Mapping Expression Quantitative Trait Loci Targeting Candidate Genes for Pregnancy in Beef Cows
by Wellison J. S. Diniz, Juliana Afonso, Nicholas C. Kertz, Paul W. Dyce and Priyanka Banerjee
Biomolecules 2024, 14(2), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14020150 - 26 Jan 2024
Viewed by 879
Abstract
Despite collective efforts to understand the complex regulation of reproductive traits, no causative genes and/or mutations have been reported yet. By integrating genomics and transcriptomics data, potential regulatory mechanisms may be unveiled, providing opportunities to dissect the genetic factors governing fertility. Herein, we [...] Read more.
Despite collective efforts to understand the complex regulation of reproductive traits, no causative genes and/or mutations have been reported yet. By integrating genomics and transcriptomics data, potential regulatory mechanisms may be unveiled, providing opportunities to dissect the genetic factors governing fertility. Herein, we identified regulatory variants from RNA-Seq data associated with gene expression regulation in the uterine luminal epithelial cells of beef cows. We identified 4676 cis and 7682 trans eQTLs (expression quantitative trait loci) affecting the expression of 1120 and 2503 genes, respectively (FDR < 0.05). These variants affected the expression of transcription factor coding genes (71 cis and 193 trans eQTLs) and genes previously reported as differentially expressed between pregnant and nonpregnant cows. Functional over-representation analysis highlighted pathways related to metabolism, immune response, and hormone signaling (estrogen and GnRH) affected by eQTL-regulated genes (p-value ≤ 0.01). Furthermore, eQTLs were enriched in QTL regions for 13 reproduction-related traits from the CattleQTLdb (FDR ≤ 0.05). Our study provides novel insights into the genetic basis of reproductive processes in cattle. The underlying causal mechanisms modulating the expression of uterine genes warrant further investigation. Full article
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17 pages, 1807 KiB  
Article
Transcriptional Regulation Associated with Subcutaneous Adipogenesis in Porcine ACSL1 Gene
by Xiuqin Yang, Xiaohan Zhang, Zewei Yang, Qian Zhang, Wanjun Hao, Yu Pang, Dongjie Zhang and Di Liu
Biomolecules 2023, 13(7), 1057; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13071057 - 29 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1040
Abstract
Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) plays an important role in fatty acid metabolism and fat deposition. The transcription of the ACSL1 gene is regulated specifically among cells and physiological processes, and transcriptional regulation of ACSL1 in adipogenesis remains elusive. Here, we characterize transcription [...] Read more.
Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) plays an important role in fatty acid metabolism and fat deposition. The transcription of the ACSL1 gene is regulated specifically among cells and physiological processes, and transcriptional regulation of ACSL1 in adipogenesis remains elusive. Here, we characterize transcription factors (TFs) associated with adipogenesis in the porcine ACSL1 gene. CCAAT-enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)α, a well-known adipogenic marker, was found to enhance the expression of the ACSL1 gene via binding two tandem motifs in the promoter. Further, we demonstrate that ACSL1 mediates C/EBPα effects on adipogenesis in preadipocytes cultured from subcutaneous fat tissue of pigs via gain- and loss-of-function analyses. The cAMP-response element binding protein, another TF involved in adipogenesis, was also identified in the regulation of ACSL1 gene expression. Additionally, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were screened in the promoter of ACSL1 among four breeds including the Chinese indigenous Min, and Duroc, Berkshire, and Yorkshire pigs through sequencing of PCR products. Two tightly linked SNPs, −517G>T and −311T>G, were found exclusively in Min pigs. The haplotype mutation decreases promoter activity in PK-15 and ST cells, and in vivo the expression of ACSL1, illustrating a possible role in adipogenesis regulated by C/EBPα/ACSL1 axis. Additionally, a total of 24 alternative splicing transcripts were identified, indicating the complexity of alternative splicing in the ACSL1 gene. The results will contribute to further revealing the regulatory mechanisms of ACSL1 during adipogenesis and to the characterization of molecular markers for selection of fat deposition in pigs. Full article
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15 pages, 1836 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Phenolic Profile in Milk Obtained by Ewes Fed Grape Pomace: Reflection on Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Status
by Francesca Bennato, Andrea Ianni, Eleonora Oliva, Nicola Franceschini, Lisa Grotta, Manuel Sergi and Giuseppe Martino
Biomolecules 2023, 13(7), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13071026 - 22 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1076
Abstract
The aim of the present work was to evaluate if the use of grape pomace (GP) in the feeding of dairy ewes can improve the content of phenolic compounds (PCs) in the milk and affect the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative status of the milk. [...] Read more.
The aim of the present work was to evaluate if the use of grape pomace (GP) in the feeding of dairy ewes can improve the content of phenolic compounds (PCs) in the milk and affect the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative status of the milk. For this purpose, 46 ewes were randomly assigned to two groups of 23 animals each: a control group (Ctrl) that received a standard diet and an experimental group (GP+), whose diet was been formulated with 10% GP on a dry matter (DM) basis. At the end of the 60 days of the trial, from 10 ewes selected randomly from each group, individual milk samples were collected and analyzed for the identification and the quantification of phenolic compounds through an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography system, and milk anti-inflammatory and antioxidative status were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, determining the activity of GPx and CAT and the levels of IL-1 and TNFα. In addition, gelatinolytic activity of Type IV collagenases (MMP-2/MMP-9) was evaluated by the fluorometric method and zymographic approach. The results obtained showed that the diet with GP affects the phenolic profile of milk, inducing milk enrichment of phenolic compounds without, however, having a significant impact on milk antioxidant and inflammatory status. However, a lower activity of MMP-9 was found in GP+ milk. The use of the molecular docking approach showed the ability of luteolin to approach the catalytic pocket of the enzyme, interfering with the recruitment of the substrate, and therefore, slowing down their hydrolytic activity. Full article
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