scholarly journals Integrated Small RNA Sequencing, Transcriptome, and GWAS Data Reveal miRNA Regulation in Response to Milk Protein Traits in Chinese Holstein Cattle

Author(s):  
Wentao Cai ◽  
Cong Li ◽  
Junya Li ◽  
Jiuzhou Song ◽  
Shengli Zhang

Abstract BackgroundMilk protein is one of the most important economic traits in the milk industry. Our previous study has revealed some functional genes responsible for milk protein synthesis in mammals. Yet, the miRNA-mediated gene regulatory network for the synthesis of milk protein in mammary is poorly understood. Results12 samples from Chinese Holstein Cows with three too high and three low phenotypic values for milk protein percentage in lactation and non-lactating were examined through deep small RNA sequencing. By bioinformatics analysis, we characterized 387 known and 212 novel miRNAs in the mammary gland. Differentially expressed analysis detected 28 miRNAs in lactation and 52 miRNAs in the non-lactating period with a highly significant correlation with milk protein concentration. Target prediction and correlation analysis identified some key miRNAs and their targets potentially involved in the synthesis of milk protein. Using genome-wide association signal (GWAS) enrichment analysis among five milk production traits, we found the differentially expressed targets were significantly related to milk protein traits.ConclusionsThis integrated study on the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory profiles between significantly differential phenotype of milk protein concentration provides new insights into the mechanism of milk protein synthesis, which should reveal the regulatory mechanisms of milk secretion.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wentao Cai ◽  
Cong Li ◽  
Junya Li ◽  
Jiuzhou Song ◽  
Shengli Zhang

Abstract Background: Milk protein is one of the most important economic traits in the milk industry. Our previous study has revealed some functional genes responsible for milk protein synthesis in mammals. Yet, the miRNA-mediated gene regulatory network for the synthesis of milk protein in mammary is poorly understood. Results: 12 samples from Chinese Holstein Cows with three too high and three low phenotypic values for milk protein percentage in lactation and non-lactating were examined through deep small RNA sequencing. By bioinformatics analysis, we characterized 387 known and 212 novel miRNAs in the mammary gland. Differentially expressed analysis detected 28 miRNAs in lactation and 52 miRNAs in the non-lactating period with a highly significant correlation with milk protein concentration. Target prediction and correlation analysis identified some key miRNAs and their targets potentially involved in the synthesis of milk protein. Using genome-wide association signal (GWAS) enrichment analysis among five milk production traits, we found the differentially expressed targets were significantly related to milk protein traits.Conclusions: This integrated study on the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory profiles between significantly differential phenotype of milk protein concentration provides new insights into the mechanism of milk protein synthesis, which should reveal the regulatory mechanisms of milk secretion.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wentao Cai ◽  
Cong Li ◽  
Junya Li ◽  
Jiuzhou Song ◽  
Shengli Zhang

Milk protein is one of the most important economic traits in the dairy industry. Yet, the regulatory network of miRNAs for the synthesis of milk protein in mammary is poorly understood. Samples from 12 Chinese Holstein cows with three high ( ≥ 3.5%) and three low ( ≤ 3.0%) phenotypic values for milk protein percentage in lactation and non-lactation were examined through deep small RNA sequencing. We characterized 388 known and 212 novel miRNAs in the mammary gland. Differentially expressed analysis detected 28 miRNAs in lactation and 52 miRNAs in the non-lactating period with a highly significant correlation with milk protein concentration. Target prediction and correlation analysis identified some key miRNAs and their targets potentially involved in the synthesis of milk protein. We analyzed for enrichments of GWAS signals in miRNAs and their correlated targets. Our results demonstrated that genomic regions harboring DE miRNA genes in lactation were significantly enriched with GWAS signals for milk protein percentage traits and that enrichments within DE miRNA targets were significantly higher than in random gene sets for the majority of milk production traits. This integrated study on the transcriptome and posttranscriptional regulatory profiles between significantly differential phenotypes of milk protein concentration provides new insights into the mechanism of milk protein synthesis, which should reveal the regulatory mechanisms of milk secretion.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaogang Cui ◽  
Shengli Zhang ◽  
Qin Zhang ◽  
Xiangyu Guo ◽  
Changxin Wu ◽  
...  

A total of 31 differentially expressed genes in the mammary glands were identified in our previous study using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), for lactating cows with extremely high and low milk protein and fat percentages. To determine the regulation of milk composition traits, we herein investigated the expression profiles of microRNA (miRNA) using small RNA sequencing based on the same samples as in the previous RNA-Seq experiment. A total of 497 known miRNAs (miRBase, release 22.1) and 49 novel miRNAs among the reads were identified. Among these miRNAs, 71 were found differentially expressed between the high and low groups (p < 0.05, q < 0.05). Furthermore, 21 of the differentially expressed genes reported in our previous RNA-Seq study were predicted as target genes for some of the 71 miRNAs. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses showed that these targets were enriched for functions such as metabolism of protein and fat, and development of mammary gland, which indicating the critical role of these miRNAs in regulating the formation of milk protein and fat. With dual luciferase report assay, we further validated the regulatory role of 7 differentially expressed miRNAs through interaction with the specific sequences in 3′UTR of the targets. In conclusion, the current study investigated the complexity of the mammary gland transcriptome in dairy cattle using small RNA-seq. Comprehensive analysis of differential miRNAs expression and the data from previous study RNA-seq provided the opportunity to identify the key candidate genes for milk composition traits.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. e0140445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Guglielmelli ◽  
Andrea Bisognin ◽  
Claudia Saccoman ◽  
Carmela Mannarelli ◽  
Alessandro Coppe ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Ren-qiang Yu ◽  
Min Wang ◽  
Shan-yu Jiang ◽  
Ying-hui Zhang ◽  
Xiao-yu Zhou ◽  
...  

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the leading cause of death due to gastrointestinal disease in preterm infants. The role of miRNAs in NEC is still unknown. The objective of this study was to identify differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in rats with NEC and analyze their possible roles. In this study, a NEC rat model was established using Sprague-Dawley rat pups. Small RNA sequencing was used to analyze the miRNA expression profiles in the NEC and control rats. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were carried out to identify target mRNAs for the DE miRNAs and to explore their potential roles. The DE miRNAs were verified by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The status of intestinal injury and the elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines in the NEC group confirmed that the NEC model was successfully established. The 16 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed between the NEC group and the control group of rats. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the parental genes of the DE miRNAs were predominantly implicated in the phosphorylation, cell migration, and protein phosphorylation processes. Moreover, the DE miRNAs were mainly found to be involved in the pathways of axon guidance, endocytosis, and focal adhesion, as well as in the Wnt signaling pathway, which is related to colitis. The expression patterns of the candidate miRNAs (rno-miR-27a-5p and rno-miR-187-3p), as assessed by RT-qPCR, were in accordance with the expression patterns obtained by miRNA-sequencing. The miRNA/mRNA/pathway network revealed that rno-miR-27a-5p and rno-miR-187-3p might be involved in NEC via the Wnt signaling pathway. We found an altered miRNA expression pattern in rats with NEC. We hypothesize that rno-miR-27a-5p and rno-miR-187-3p might mediate the NEC pathophysiological processes via the Wnt signaling pathway.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Liang ◽  
Kunhua Wei ◽  
Fan Wei ◽  
Shuangshuang Qin ◽  
Chuanhua Deng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep is a traditional Chinese medical plant that is mainly cultivated in southern China. Drought stress is one of the major abiotic stresses that negatively impacts S. tonkinensis growth. However, the molecular mechanisms governing the responses to drought stress in S. tonkinensis at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels are not well understood. Results To identify genes and miRNAs involved in drought stress responses in S. tonkinensis, both mRNA and small RNA sequencing was performed in root samples under control, mild drought, and severe drought conditions. mRNA sequencing revealed 66,476 unigenes, and the differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) were associated with several key pathways, including phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, sugar metabolism, and quinolizidine alkaloid biosynthesis pathways. A total of 10 and 30 transcription factors (TFs) were identified among the DEGs under mild and severe drought stress, respectively. Moreover, small RNA sequencing revealed a total of 368 miRNAs, including 255 known miRNAs and 113 novel miRNAs. The differentially expressed miRNAs and their target genes were involved in the regulation of plant hormone signal transduction, the spliceosome, and ribosomes. Analysis of the regulatory network involved in the response to drought stress revealed 37 differentially expressed miRNA-mRNA pairs. Conclusion This is the first study to simultaneously profile the expression patterns of mRNAs and miRNAs on a genome-wide scale to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the drought stress responses of S. tonkinensis. Our results suggest that S. tonkinensis implements diverse mechanisms to modulate its responses to drought stress.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 1725-1731
Author(s):  
Cong Li ◽  
Wentao Cai ◽  
Shuli Liu ◽  
Chenghao Zhou ◽  
Mingyue Cao ◽  
...  

Objective: An initial RNA-Sequencing study revealed that UDP-galactose-4-epimerase (GALE) was one of the most promising candidates for milk protein concentration in Chinese Holstein cattle. This enzyme catalyzes the interconversion of UDP-galactose and UDP-glucose, an important step in galactose catabolism. To further validate the genetic effect of GALE on milk protein traits, genetic variations were identified, and genotypes-phenotypes associations were performed.Methods: The entire coding region and the 5’-regulatory region (5’-UTR) of GALE were re-sequenced using pooled DNA of 17 unrelated sires. Association studies for five milk production traits were performed using a mixed linear animal model with a population encompassing 1,027 Chinese Holstein cows.Results: A total of three variants in GALE were identified, including two novel variants (g.2114 A>G and g.2037 G>A) in the 5’-UTR and one previously reported variant (g.3836 G>C) in an intron. All three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with milk yield (p<0.0001), fat yield (p = 0.0006 to <0.0001), protein yield (p = 0.0232 to <0.0001) and protein percentage (p<0.0001), while no significant associations were detected between the SNPs and fat percentage. A strong linkage disequilibrium (D’ = 0.96 to 1.00) was observed among all three SNPs, and a 5 Kb haplotype block involving three main haplotypes with GAG, AGC, and AGG was formed. The results of haplotype association analyses were consistent with the results of single locus association analysis (p<0.0001). The phenotypic variance ratio above 3.00% was observed for milk protein yield that was explained by SNP-g.3836G >C.Conclusion: Overall, our findings provided new insights into the polymorphic variations in bovine GALE gene and their associations with milk protein concentration. The data indicate their potential uses for marker-assisted breeding or genetic selection schemes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Al-Rubaie ◽  
Robert DeMatteo ◽  
Foula Sozo ◽  
Timothy Cole ◽  
Richard Harding ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Lung immaturity is one of the most serious consequences of growth restriction and premature birth. Preterm babies often require mechanical ventilation to survive, but exposure to high levels of oxygen can permanently damage the lungs and interrupts normal development. As lung macrophages play an important role in hyperoxic lung injury and repair, our objective was to use next generation sequencing (NGS) to identify changes in the macrophage transcriptome following neonatal hyperoxia, with and without treatment with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). We provide the first report of RNA-sequencing of lung macrophages following neonatal hyperoxia and hMSCs therapy. Methods Neonatal mice exposed to normoxia (21%O2) or hyperoxia (90% O2) from birth to postnatal day 4 were randomized to receive either hMSCs or vehicle via intratracheal delivery on postnatal day 4. Mouse lungs from normoxia and hyperoxia groups with and without hMSCs therapy were examined at day 14. RNA-sequencing was performed on flow-cytometric CD45+CD11b+CD11c+ sorted lung macrophages. Purified total RNA was used to construct barcoded multiplex-compatible sequencing libraries using: 1) Illumina Stranded mRNA Sample Preparation chemistry (for transcriptomics) and 2) Bio Scientific NEXTFlex Small RNA chemistry (for small RNA). Results Sorted CD45+CD11b+CD11c+ lung macrophages from hyperoxia-exposed neonatal mice showed differentially expressed macrophage genes and miRNA compared to mice exposed to normoxia or hyperoxia+hMSCs. The administration of hMSCs was found to differentially upregulate 421 genes and downregulate 651 genes in CD45+CD11b+CD11c+ lung macrophages from neonatal mice exposed to hyperoxia, compared to normoxia. Integrity pathway analysis (IPA) analysis of macrophage-specific gene pathways revealed the effectiveness of hMSCs in altering macrophage function towards an anti-inflammatory ‘M2’ phenotype. Small-RNA sequencing provided further evidence on the effects of hMSCs, where 1,098 small RNAs transcriptomes were expressed as either significantly up- or down-regulated in response to hMSCs therapy following hyperoxia-induced lung damage. Conclusions Pathway analysis of the predicted mRNA targets of differentially expressed genes provides insight into miRNAs that preferentially target several important pathways. These miRNAs will be functionally relevant for lung macrophages, and will provide a greater understanding of the interaction between macrophage genotype and the associated phenotypes in the setting of inflammation or tissue repair.


Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cong Li ◽  
Miao Wang ◽  
Wentao Cai ◽  
Shuli Liu ◽  
Chenghao Zhou ◽  
...  

Heat shock 70 kDa protein 8 (HSPA8) and erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ERBB2) were the promising candidates for milk protein concentration in dairy cattle revealed through previous RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) study. The objective of this post-RNA-Seq study was to confirm genetic effects of HSPA8 and ERBB2 on milk protein concentration in a large Chinese Holstein population and to evaluate the genetic effects of both genes on other milk production traits. There were 2 singlenucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified for HSPA8 and 11 SNPs for ERBB2 by sequencing 17 unrelated Chinese Holstein sires. The SNP-rs136632043 in HSPA8 had significant associations with all five milk production traits (p = 0.0086 to p < 0.0001), whereas SNP-rs132976221 was remarkably associated with three yield traits (p < 0.0001). Nine (ss1996900615, rs109017161, rs109122971, ss1996900614, rs110133654, rs109941438, rs110552983, rs133031530, and rs109763505) of 11 SNPs in ERBB2 were significantly associated with milk protein percentage (p = 0.0177 to p < 0.0001). A 12 Kb haplotype block was formed in ERBB2 and haplotype associations revealed similar effects on milk protein traits. Our findings confirmed the significant genetic effects of HSPA8 and ERBB2 on milk protein concentration and other milk production traits and SNP phenotypic variances above 1% may serve as genetic markers in dairy cattle breeding programs.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document