Integrative ATAC-seq and RNA-seq analysis reveals lactation performance between Sewa sheep and East Friesian sheep

Area of Science:

• Animal Genomics
• Epigenetics
• Livestock Production

Background:

• Lactation performance is crucial for economic viability in sheep farming.
• The epigenetic mechanisms controlling lactation remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the epigenetic and transcriptomic differences in mammary glands between Sewa sheep (SWS) and East Friesian sheep (EFS).
• To identify key regulatory factors and metabolic pathways associated with variations in lactation performance.

Main Methods:

• Integration of ATAC-seq (Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using sequencing) and RNA-seq (RNA sequencing) on mammary gland tissues.
• Histological analysis to compare mammary gland structures.
• Bioinformatic analysis to identify differentially accessible regions (DARs), differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and enriched pathways.

Main Results:

• Sewa sheep showed smaller mammary acini and lipid droplets compared to East Friesian sheep.
• 15,902 differentially accessible regions (DARs) and 1,163 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified.
• Integrated analysis highlighted 441 overlapping genes involved in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and pyruvate metabolism.

Conclusions:

• This study elucidates novel epigenetic regulatory mechanisms contributing to lactation performance differences in sheep breeds.
• Identified key transcription factors and metabolic pathways provide targets for improving sheep lactation efficiency.