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Title: Epigenetic regulation of genomes: Nutrient-specific modulation of genetic networks in bovine cells

Author
item Li, Congjun - Cj
item Elsasser, Theodore
item Li, Robert

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/18/2007
Publication Date: 10/23/2007
Citation: Li, C.-L, Elsasser, T.H., Li, R.W. 2008. Epigenetic regulation of genomes: nutrient-specific modulation of genetic networks in bovine cells [abstract]. International Symposium on Anima Genomics for Animal Health, Paris, France, October 23-25, 2007. Developments in Biologicals. 132:391-398.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The modern version of epigenetics includes the molecular mechanisms that influence the phenotypic outcome of a gene or genome, in absence of changes to the underlying DNA sequence. A host of genomic interrelationships with the diet evidently exist. The broad topic of nutrigenomics as defined with respect to the interaction between nutrition and an individual's genome. Ruminant species have evolved to metabolize the short-chain volatile fatty acids (VFAs, acetate, propionate, and butyrate) to fulfill up to 70% of their nutrient energy requirements. The potential biological roles of VFAs were investigated using the established Madin-Darby bovine kidney epithelial cell line. Butyrate induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in bovine cells. Gene expression profiling indicated that butyrate induces many significant changes in the expression of genes associated with regulatory pathways that are critical to cell growth, immune response and signal transduction. The functional category and pathway analyses of the microarray data revealed that several canonical pathways (Cell cycle: G2/M DNA damage checkpoint; pyrimidine metabolism; Cell cycle: G1/S Checkpoint Regulation; and purine metabolism; insulin-like growth factor axis components) were significantly affected. This study has generated comprehensive information on the experimental system that can be used in many functional genomic studies in bovine and provided basis for understanding the full range of the biological roles and the molecular mechanisms that butyrate may play in animal cell growth, proliferation, and energy metabolism. The results illustrate the potential to exploit nutritional manipulation of gene activity to enhance animal production efficiency in a drug residue-free format.