MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression, potentially affecting several biological processes, whose function can be altered by sequence variation. Hence, the integration of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and miRNAs can explain individual differences in economic traits. To provide new insights into the effects of SNPs on miRNAs and their related target genes, we carried out a multi-omic analysis to identify SNPs in miRNA mature sequences (miR-SNPs) associated with fatty acid (FA) composition in the Nelore cattle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFeed efficiency helps to reduce environmental impacts from livestock production, improving beef cattle profitability. We identified potential biomarkers (hub genes) for feed efficiency, by applying co-expression analysis in RNA-Seq data from 180 Nelore steers. Six co-expression modules were associated with six feed efficiency-related traits (-value ≤ 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Lipids are a class of molecules that play an important role in cellular structure and metabolism in all cell types. In the last few decades, it has been reported that long-chain fatty acids (FAs) are involved in several biological functions from transcriptional regulation to physiological processes. Several fatty acids have been both positively and negatively implicated in different biological processes in skeletal muscle and other tissues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Efficiency of feed utilization is important for animal production because it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve industry profitability. However, the genetic basis of feed utilization in livestock remains poorly understood. Recent developments in molecular genetics, such as platforms for genome-wide genotyping and sequencing, provide an opportunity to identify genes and pathways that influence production traits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany economically important crops have large and complex genomes that hamper their sequencing by standard methods such as whole genome shotgun (WGS). Large tracts of methylated repeats occur in plant genomes that are interspersed by hypomethylated gene-rich regions. Gene-enrichment strategies based on methylation profiles offer an alternative to sequencing repetitive genomes.
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