BackgroundComparative genomics studies are central in identifying the coding and non-coding elements associated with complex traits, and the functional annotation of genomes is a critical step to decipher the genotype-to-phenotype relationships in livestock animals. As part of the Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes (FAANG) action, the FR-AgENCODE project aimed to create reference functional maps of domesticated animals by profiling the landscape of transcription (RNA-seq), chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq) and conformation (Hi-C) in species representing ruminants (cattle, goat), monogastrics (pig) and birds (chicken), using three target samples related to metabolism (liver) and immunity (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells).ResultsRNA-seq assays considerably extended the available catalog of annotated transcripts and identified differentially expressed genes with unknown function, including new syntenic lncRNAs. ATAC-seq highlighted an enrichment for transcription factor binding sites in differentially accessible regions of the chromatin. Comparative analyses revealed a core set of conserved regulatory regions across species. Topologically associating domains (TADs) and epigenetic A/B compartments annotated from Hi-C data were consistent with RNA-seq and ATAC-seq data. Multi-species comparisons showed that conserved TAD boundaries had stronger insulation properties than species-specific ones and that the genomic distribution of orthologous genes in A/B compartments was significantly conserved across species.ConclusionsWe report the first multi-species and multi-assay genome annotation results obtained by a FAANG project. Beyond the generation of reference annotations and the confirmation of previous findings on model animals, the integrative analysis of data from multiple assays and species sheds a new light on the multi-scale selective pressure shaping genome organization from birds to mammals. Overall, these results emphasize the value of FAANG for research on domesticated animals and reinforces the importance of future meta-analyses of the reference datasets being generated by this community on different species.

15African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) is endemic in at least 37 of the 54 countries in Africa. 16 It is estimated to cause direct and indirect losses to the livestock production industry in 17 excess of US$ 4.5 billion per annum. A century of intervention has yielded limited success, 18 owing largely to the extraordinary complexity of the host-parasite interaction.

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The aim of this study was to determine if any correlation exists between melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) polymorphisms and skin and fibre colour in alpacas. Primers capable of amplifying the entire alpaca MC1R gene were designed from a comparative alignment of Bos taurus and Mus musculus MC1R gene sequences. The complete MC1R gene of 41 alpacas exhibiting a range of fibre colours, and which were sourced from farms across Australia, was sequenced from PCR products. Twenty-one single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified within MC1R. Two of these polymorphisms (A82G and C901T) have the potential to reduce eumelanin production by disrupting the activity of MC1R. No agreement was observed between fibre colour alone and MC1R genotype in the 41 animals in this study. However, when the animals were assigned to groups based on the presence or absence of eumelanin in their fibre and skin, only animals that had at least one allele with the A82/C901 combination expressed eumelanin. We propose that A82/C901 is the wild-type dominant ‘E’ MC1R allele, while alpacas with either G82/T901 or G82/Y901 are homozygous for the recessive ‘e’ MC1R allele and are therefore unable to produce eumelanin.

Preparation of arthropods for morphological identification often damages or destroys DNA within the specimen. Conversely, DNA extraction methods often destroy the external physical characteristics essential for morphological identification. We have developed a rapid, simple and non-destructive DNA extraction technique for arthropod specimens. This technique was tested on four arthropod orders, using specimens that were fresh, preserved by air drying, stored in ethanol, or collected with sticky or propylene glycol traps. The technique could be completed in twenty minutes for Coleoptera, Diptera and Hemiptera, and two minutes for the subclass Acarina, without significant distortion, discolouration, or other damage to the specimens.