Epigenetics and inheritance of phenotype variation in livestock

Abstract

Epigenetic inheritance plays a crucial role in many biological processes, such as gene expression in early embryo development, imprinting and the silencing of transposons. It has recently been established that epigenetic effects can be inherited from one generation to the next. Here, we review examples of epigenetic mechanisms governing animal phenotype and behaviour, and we discuss the importance of these findings in respect to animal studies, and livestock in general. Epigenetic parameters orchestrating transgenerational effects, as well as heritable disorders, and the often-overlooked areas of livestock immunity and stress, are also discussed. We highlight the importance of nutrition and how it is linked to epigenetic alteration. Finally, we describe how our understanding of epigenetics is underpinning the latest cancer research and how this can be translated into directed efforts to improve animal health and welfare.

When genetic and phenotypic data do not agree: the conservation implications of ignoring inconvenient taxonomic evidence

“…growth and development (Sanchez & Schoch 2013;Tobi et al 2014;Triantaphyllopoulos et al 2016). Finally, an increasing number of genome-wide studies suggest that slight changes to small portions of a species' genome can alter the phenotype of key adaptive traits, such as plumage coloration (e.g.…”

Genome-Wide Epigenetic Studies in Chicken: A Review

“…However, quantitative trait analyses and genome-wide association studies have shown that genetic variation is not the only contributor to phenotypic variability [1]. An increasing number of evidence suggests that epigenetics may also contribute to the phenotypic diversity of animals, in interaction with their environment [2]. Recently, epigenetic reprogramming of gene expression was shown to impact, in the long term, the phenotypes of birds.…”

Does maternal size, nutrition and metabolic status affect offspring production traits in domestic species?

“…This pleads for a very careful choice of embryo recipients in terms of breed and size but also underlines the importance of the management of these animals before and during pregnancy. The molecular basis for these effects is epigenetic mechanisms (Gonzalez-Recio et al, 2015;Triantaphyllopoulos et al, 2016). Future research is needed to explore if epigenetic markers could be used as predictors of long term outcomes in offspring.…”