Epigenetic analysis of methylation profile of chickens submitted to different stress conditions in the livestock production environment

• Grant number: 16/20440-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): January 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): February 16, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Genetics and Improvement of Domestic Animals
• Acordo de Cooperação: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Lehmann Coutinho
• Grantee: Fábio Pértille
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 14/08704-0 - Identification of loci of interest for poultry production, AP.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/13600-0 - Methylome and transcriptome analysis of chickens subjected to illumination stress in the livestock production environment, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Farm animals are constantly subjected to adverse environmental conditions. These conditions affect adult animal phenotype especially when they occur in early life (before and after birth). These influences include chemical exposures or any adverse environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity and luminous exposure. Epigenetic is the study of these dynamical interactions that changes the transcriptional potential of the cell. Environmental effects naturally cause changes in molecules that interact with DNA. These molecular interactions affect the gene expression. Several kind of epigenetic DNA interactions happens according to the environmental experience of the animal. One of them is DNA methylation or hydroxymethylation of CpG dinucleotide. Changes in DNA methylation may be associated with a number of phenotypic changes for example, plume color changes and increased propensity for diseases. Particularly in some situations, it is possible to identify hormones acting as markers to acute stress, but these marks tell us nothing when it comes from prolonged stress. However, epigenetic marks can serve as prolonged stress markers. Few epigenetics studies have been conducted using farm animals. However, the chicken has suggested as a promising model for epigenetic studies in recent years. The purpose of our study is to investigate the methylation profile in the brain and blood of chickens under stressful conditions in farm environments. The results of this research have an impact from the animal welfare viewpoint and serve as a basis for the use of epigenetic tools to determine the stress exposure during animal's life. (AU)

Scientific publications

(9)

(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)

MOREIRA, GABRIEL COSTA MONTEIRO; BOSCHIERO, CLARISSA; MELLO CESAR, ALINE SILVA; REECY, JAMES M.; GODOY, THAIS FERNANDA; PERTILLE, FABIO; LEDUR, MONICA CORREA; MEIRA TAVARES MOURA, ANA SILVIA ALVES; GARRICK, DORIAN J.; COUTINHO, LUIZ LEHMANN. Integration of genome wide association studies and whole genome sequencing provides novel insights into fat deposition in chicken. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 8, NOV 1 2018. (15/00616-7, 14/08704-0, 14/21380-9, 16/20440-3, 16/00569-1)

GUERRERO-BOSAGNA, CARLOS; PERTILLE, FABIO; GOMEZ, YAMENAH; REZAEI, SHIVA; GEBHARDT-HENRICH, SABINE G.; VOGELI, SABINE; STRATMANN, ARIANE; VOELKL, BERNHARD; TOSCANO, MICHAEL J.. DNA methylation variation in the brain of laying hens in relation to differential behavioral patterns. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology D-Genomics & Proteomics, v. 35, SEP 2020. (16/20440-3, 18/13600-0)

PERTILLE, FABIO; ALVAREZ-RODRIGUEZ, MANUEL; DA SILVA, ARTHUR NERY; BARRANCO, ISABEL; ROCA, JORDI; GUERRERO-BOSAGNA, CARLOS; RODRIGUEZ-MARTINEZ, HERIBERTO. Sperm Methylome Profiling Can Discern Fertility Levels in the Porcine Biomedical Model. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, v. 22, n. 5, MAR 2021. (16/20440-3, 18/13600-0)

MONTEIRO MOREIRA, GABRIEL COSTA; POLETI, MIRELE DAIANA; PERTILLE, FABIO; BOSCHIERO, CLARISSA; MELLO CESAR, ALINE SILVA; GODOY, THAIS FERNANDA; LEDUR, MONICA CORREA; REECY, JAMES M.; GARRICK, DORIAN J.; COUTINHO, LUIZ LEHMANN. Unraveling genomic associations with feed efficiency and body weight traits in chickens through an integrative approach. BMC GENETICS, v. 20, n. 1, NOV 6 2019. (14/21380-9, 16/20440-3, 16/00569-1, 14/08704-0, 15/00616-7)

PERTILLE, FABIO; DA SILVA, VINICIUS H.; JOHANSSON, ANNA M.; LINDSTROM, TOM; WRIGHT, DOMINIC; COUTINHO, LUIZ L.; JENSEN, PER; GUERRERO-BOSAGNA, CARLOS. Mutation dynamics of CpG dinucleotides during a recent event of vertebrate diversification. Epigenetics, v. 14, n. 7, MAY 2019. (16/20440-3, 14/08704-0, 18/13600-0)

SUNDMAN, ANN-SOFIE; PERTILLE, FABIO; LEHMANN COUTINHO, LUIZ; JAZIN, ELENA; GUERRERO-BOSAGNA, CARLOS; JENSEN, PER. DNA methylation in canine brains is related to domestication and dog-breed formation. PLoS One, v. 15, n. 10, OCT 29 2020. (16/20440-3, 18/13600-0)

PERTILLE, FABIO; BRANTSAETER, MARGRETHE; NORDGREEN, JANICKE; COUTINHO, LUIZ LEHMANN; JANCZAK, ANDREW M.; JENSEN, PER; GUERRERO-BOSAGNA, CARLOS. DNA methylation profiles in red blood cells of adult hens correlate with their rearing conditions. Journal of Experimental Biology, v. 220, n. 19, p. 3579-3587, OCT 1 2017. (16/20440-3, 14/08704-0)

DA SILVA, ARTHUR NERY; ARAUJO, MICHELLE SILVA; PERTILLE, FABIO; ZANELLA, ADROALDO JOSE. How Epigenetics Can Enhance Pig Welfare?. ANIMALS, v. 12, n. 1, JAN 2022. (16/20440-3, 18/13600-0)

PERTILLE, FABIO; IBELLI, ADRIANA MERCIA GUARATINI; SHARIF, MAJ EL; POLETI, MIRELE DAIANA; FROHLICH, ANNA SOPHIE; REZAEI, SHIVA; LEDUR, MONICA CORREA; JENSEN, PER; GUERRERO-BOSAGNA, CARLOS; COUTINHO, LUIZ LEHMANN. Putative Epigenetic Biomarkers of Stress in Red Blood Cells of Chickens Reared Across Different Biomes. FRONTIERS IN GENETICS, v. 11, NOV 2 2020. (16/20440-3, 18/13600-0, 14/08704-0)