Imprinted genes in the process of pluripontency acquisition on bovine cells

• Grant number: 12/24766-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2013
• End date: October 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Felipe Perecin
• Grantee: Marina Amaro de Lima
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The discovery of the mechanisms of pluripotency induction lead to great changes in the studies of the cellular events related to the acquisition of pluripotency and nuclear reprogramming. However, although the generation of iPS cells has already been reported in several species, the outcomes in bovines are still unpredictable. Recently, some researchers have correlated the reprogramming success with the adequate reprogramming of some imprinted genes. Thus, the present work aims to study the effects of different protocols of pluripotency induction on the epigenetic status and expression of some imprinted genes in cattle. Using a model based on single nucleotide polymorphism between alleles of IGF2R and H19 genes, that have known importance on embryo and fetal development, its patterns of expression on bovine fibroblasts will be evaluated throughout the generation of pluripotent cells using different protocols. The results of this study will increase the knowledge on the mechanism driving the induction of pluripotency in the bovine species, as well as the role of the imprinted genes in this process. (AU)