Polymorphism and parent-of-origin effects on in vitro cellular differentiation, expression and epigenetics in genes of economical importance in beef cattle

• Grant number: 08/03916-8
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2009
• End date: March 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Genetics and Improvement of Domestic Animals
• Principal Investigator: Simone Cristina Méo Niciura
• Grantee: Simone Cristina Méo Niciura
• Host Institution: Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Adriana Mércia Guaratini Ibelli ; Alfredo Ribeiro de Freitas ; Felipe Perecin ; Flávio Vieira Meirelles ; Gisele Batista Veneroni ; Lawrence Charles Smith ; Lorivaldo Paz Landim Junior ; Luciana Correia de Almeida Regitano ; Pedro Franklin Barbosa ; Rui Machado

Abstract

In this work, we aim to evaluate polymorphism and allelic parent-of-origin effect on in vitro cellular differentiation, gene expression and epigenetic modifications in genes involved in traits of economic importance for beef cattle, including tenderness, marbling and subcutaneous backfat deposition. For that purpose, pregnant uteri will be obtained in slaughterhouse and samples of maternal uterus and fetal skin tissues will be collected and used for genotyping mother and fetus. In these animals, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) will be assessed in coding regions of calpain, calpastatin, DGAT1, and leptin genes. Afterwards, myoblast and adipocyte precursor cells collected respectively from muscle and adipose tissue of homozygous and heterozygous fetus whose mother is homozygous for those SNP will be submitted to in vitro culture and evaluated after induced differentiation. In those tissues, gene expression will also be assessed before culture, after differentiation and after treatment with epigenetic modifying agents. In muscle, adipose tissue, and liver of the heterozygous fetus, the expressed allele and its parental (maternal or paternal) origin will be determined using allelic discrimination in real time PCR. For the gene with higher tissue-specific, allele-preferential or parental-origin differential expression, the technique of chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) will be employed to assess the epigenetic mechanisms possible involved. ChIP will be performed using antibodies for methylated DNA and for histones modified by acetylation and methylation. Thus, the objective is to comprehend epigenetic mechanisms controlling the expression of genes of economic importance for beef cattle, and then allowing the development of ways to modify it and establishing new criteria to be used for marker assisted selection, aiming to improve carcass traits and meat quality. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE SOUZA, M. M.; NICIURA, S. C. M.; TIZIOTO, P. C.; IBELLI, A. M. G.; GASPARIN, G.; ROCHA, M. I. P.; BRESSANI, F. A.; MALAGO-, JR., W.; DINIZ, W. J. S.; DE OLIVEIRA, P. S. N.; et al. Allele- and parent-of-origin-specific effects on expression of the KCNJ11 gene: A candidate for meat tenderness in cattle. Genetics and Molecular Research, v. 15, n. 3, 2016. (08/03916-8, 12/23638-8)

MEO NICIURA, SIMONE CRISTINA; GUARATINI IBELLI, ADRIANA MERCIA; GOUVEIA, GISELE VENERONI; GONZAGA GROMBONI, JULIANA GRACIELLE; PEREIRA ROCHA, MARINA IBELLI; DE SOUZA, MARCELA MARIA; DE MELLO, SUELEN SCARPA; DE ALMEIDA REGITANO, LUCIANA CORREIA. Polymorphism and parent-of-origin effects on gene expression of CAST, leptin and DGAT1 in cattle. MEAT SCIENCE, v. 90, n. 2, p. 507-510, FEB 2012. (08/03916-8)