DNA Methylation Profile Associated with Fertility Trait in Goat Using Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing
DNA Methylation Profile Associated with Fertility Trait in Goat Using Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing
Othman E. Othman1*, Lingjiang Min2, Amira M. Nowier3
ABSTRACT
This work designed to investigate the epigenetic regulation of ovulation rate through DNA methylation profile using WGBS. The whole genome DNA was extracted from ovaries of Zaraibi goats belonging to two different fertility groups: high (HFG) and low (LFG) fertility groups. The extracted DNA was subjected to WGS after treatment with bisulfite. The findings declared that a small difference in the DNA methylation levels is present among high and low fertility groups. The methylated C frequencies in contexts: CG, CHG and CHH were 89.89%, 2.39%, 7.72% and 90.19, 2.34%, 7.47% in high and low fertility groups, respectively. This finding showed that the level of methylated C in CG context is in directionally opposite with fertility trait where this level is lower in HFG than that in LFG. In contrast, the levels of methylated C in contexts CHG and CHH are higher in HFG than those in LFG groups. Despite this small difference in the methylation levels, there are many DMR and DMG were identified in the two groups. One-hundred and seventy fertility-related genes with different frequency in methylation levels were selected for functional enrichment analysis and the results declared the strong relation between methylation patterns of DMGs and fertility trait. It is concluded that DNA methylation patterns of Zaraibi goat ovaries may be responsible for difference in ovulation rate trait between high and low fertility groups through their important roles in folliculogenesis and oocyte ovulation rate. Also, this study declared the opposite association between the methylation levels and expressions of differentially methylated genes which are related to fertility phenomena in goats.
Keywords | DNA methylation, Ovulation rate, Litter size, WGBS, Goat.
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