Exploring metaboloepigenetic variability in bovine fibroblast lines.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology and conservation genetics.

Background:

• Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technologies are vital for preserving threatened species' genetic diversity.
• Current success rates for SCNT and iPSC generation are low (1-5%) and highly variable, necessitating improved donor cell selection.
• Donor cells with more pluripotent-like characteristics demonstrate enhanced reprogramming potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize metaboloepigenetic profiles of somatic fibroblast cell lines from Angus bulls.
• To identify inter- and intra-individual variations in bioenergetic status, metabolite abundance, DNA methylation, and histone modifications.
• To establish a framework for prioritizing donor cell lines for improved SCRT efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 18 standardized fibroblast cell lines from six Angus bulls.
• Assessment of bioenergetic status, targeted metabolite abundance, global DNA methylation, and key histone modifications.
• Integration of data to position cell lines on a somatic-to-pluripotent continuum.

Main Results:

• Significant inter- and intra-individual differences were observed in the metaboloepigenetic profiles of the cell lines.
• A reduced set of features effectively distinguished cell line profiles along the somatic-to-pluripotent continuum.
• These findings provide a basis for selecting superior donor cells for SCRTs.

Conclusions:

• Metaboloepigenetic profiling offers a data-driven approach to enhance donor cell selection for SCRTs.
• This framework can guide the development of biomarker panels to improve the success rates of assisted reproductive technologies in conservation.
• Further validation is needed to correlate these profiles with functional reprogramming outcomes.