title: Comparative epigenetics: relevance to the regulation of production and health traits in cattle.
abstract: With the development of genomic, transcriptomic and bioinformatic tools, recent advances in molecular technologies have significantly impacted bovine bioscience research and are revolutionising animal selection and breeding. Integration of epigenetic information represents yet another challenging molecular frontier. Epigenetics is the study of biochemical modifications to DNA and to histones, the proteins that provide stability to DNA. These epigenetic changes are induced by environmental stimuli; they alter gene expression and are potentially heritable. Epigenetics research holds the key to understanding how environmental factors contribute to phenotypic variation in traits of economic importance in cattle including development, nutrition, behaviour and health. In this review, we discuss the potential applications of epigenetics in bovine research, using breakthroughs in human and murine research to signpost the way.
authors.affiliation: Animal & Bioscience Research Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Co. Meath, Ireland; Comparative Immunology Group, School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biosciences Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Rachael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: Cliona
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O' Farrelly
authors.forename: Kieran G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Meade
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods*; D002417:Cattle / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D057890:Epigenomics / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D007109:Immunity / Q000235:genetics; D040582:Inheritance Patterns / Q000235:genetics; D012106:Research; D012641:Selection, Genetic
keywords: behaviour; bovine; environment; epigenetic; immunity; missing heritability; nutrition; patho-epigenetics