Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Provides Insights into the Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Synthesis Regulation of Fat-1 Transgenic Sheep

Abstract

Transgenic technology has huge application potential in agriculture and medical fields, such as producing new livestock varieties with new valuable features and xenotransplantation. However, how an exogenous gene affects the host animal’s gene regulation networks and their health status is still poorly understood. In the current study, Fat-1 transgenic sheep were generated, and the tissues from 100-day abnormal (DAF_1) and normal (DAF_2) fetuses, postnatal lambs (DAF_4), transgenic-silencing (DAFG5), and -expressing (DAFG6) skin cells were collected and subjected to transcriptome sequencing, and their gene expression profiles were compared in multiple dimensions. The results were as follows. For DAF_1, its abnormal development was caused by pathogen invasion but not the introduction of the Fat-1 gene. Fat-1 expression down-regulated the genes related to the cell cycle; the NF-κB signaling pathway and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were down-regulated, and the PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) biosynthesis pathway was shifted toward the biosynthesis of high-level n-3 LC-PUFAs (long-chain PUFAs). Four key node genes, FADS2, PPARA, PRKACA, and ACACA, were found to be responsible for the gene expression profile shift from the Fat-1 transgenic 100-day fetus to postnatal lamb, and FADS2 may play a key role in the accumulation of n-3 LC-PUFAs in Fat-1 transgenic sheep muscle. Our study provides new insights into the FUFAs synthesis regulation in Fat-1 transgenic animals.

Horizon scanning of potential environmental applications of terrestrial animals, fish, algae and microorganisms produced by genetic modification, including the use of new genomic techniques

“…In the identified applications the purpose is to enhance the product quality of milk, meat, eggs and wool in various ways: the elimination of β-lactoglobulin in cow and goat milk to achieve lower allergenicity of milk ( Zhou et al, 2017 ; Wei et al, 2018 ), cow milk with low lactose ( Su et al, 2018 ), a higher n-3 PUFAs content ( Wu et al, 2012 ) or goat milk enriched with human-lactoferrin ( Cui et al, 2015 ). In order to improve the nutritional value of meat, the content of n-3 PUFAs is targeted in cattle, sheep and pigs ( Cheng et al, 2015 ; Tang et al, 2019 ; Luo et al, 2020 ), intramuscular fat is increased ( Gu et al, 2021 ) and an alpha-gal (Galactose-alpha-1,3-glacatose) free GM pig was developed ( Hauschild et al, 2011 ). Furthermore, the coat color of sheep ( Zhang et al, 2017 ) and the composition of the egg white in chicken ( Lee et al, 2020 ) are modified.…”

The Characterization of Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue in Sunit Sheep at Different Growth Stages: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Morphology, Fatty Acid Profile, and Metabolite Profile

“…During animal growth, there is a gradual decline in mitochondrial function, leading to a decrease in the β-oxidation of LC-FAs and an upregulation of LC-FAs expression [45][46][47]. Alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid metabolism is a process of FA desaturation and elongation; C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 are the main metabolic products of alpha-linolenic acid metabolism [48]. In this study, compared with Mth-6, the expression of C18:3n-3 was downregulated, while C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 were upregulated in Mth-18 and Mth-30, suggesting that the alpha-linolenic acid metabolism process was augmented in Mth-18 and Mth-30.…”

Analysis of lncRNAs and mRNA Expression in the ZBTB1 Knockout Monoclonal EL4 Cell Line and Combined Analysis With miRNAs and circRNAs

“…The transcriptome refers to the collection of all transcription products in a given cell in a given state, including mRNA and noncoding RNA; research on noncoding RNA has focused on small RNA, lncRNA and circRNA, which have regulatory roles ( Luo et al., 2020 ). Whole-transcriptome sequencing study based on second-generation sequencing technology can analyze mRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, small RNA in the same sample at the same time and explore the transcriptional regulation behind life phenomena in greater depth ( Ning et al., 2021 ).…”