BuffExDb: web-based tissue-specific gene expression resource for breeding and conservation programmes in Bubalus...

Area of Science:

• Animal Genomics
• Bioinformatics
• Livestock Science

Background:

• The livestock sector is crucial for global sustainable development and poverty reduction.
• Buffaloes are economically vital in Asia, surpassing cattle in milk production.
• Limited genomic resources for buffaloes impede trait enhancement for increased production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the scarcity of genomic and transcriptomic data for buffaloes.
• To develop a comprehensive, user-friendly database of buffalo gene expression.
• To facilitate research for enhanced buffalo breeding and conservation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 2429 transcriptomes from 438 BioSamples across 23 BioProjects.
• Utilized bioinformatics tools to process data from 76 tissue and cell types.
• Developed a relational buffalo expression database (BuffExDb) with a three-tier architecture.

Main Results:

• The BuffExDb database (http://46.202.167.198/buffex/) is now available.
• The database allows easy retrieval and functional annotation of tissue-specific genes (TSGs).
• Identified TSGs using the Tau score parameter and analyzed their roles via gene ontology enrichment.

Conclusions:

• BuffExDb is the first navigable and filterable database for buffalo gene expression.
• Provides essential data for biological, functional, and evolutionary studies.
• Supports future genomic research, association studies, and breeding programs for buffaloes.