title: Genome-wide profiling of sperm DNA methylation in relation to buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) bull fertility.
abstract: The DNA methylation pattern in spermatozoa of buffalo bulls of different fertility status was investigated. Spermatozoa isolated DNA from two groups of buffalo bulls (n = 5), selected based on their artificial insemination-generated conception rate data followed by IVF efficiency, were studied for global methylation changes using a custom-designed 180 K buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) CpG island/promoter microarray. A total of 96 individual genes with another 55 genes covered under CpG islands were found differentially methylated in sperm of high-fertile and subfertile buffalo bulls. Important genes associated with biological processes, cellular components, and functions were identified to be differentially methylated in buffalo bulls with differential fertility status. The identified differentially methylated genes were found to be involved in germ cell development, spermatogenesis, capacitation, and embryonic development. The observations hint that methylation defects of sperm DNA may play a crucial role in determining the fertility of breeding bulls. This growing field of sperm epigenetics will be of great benefit in understanding the graded fertility conditions of breeding bulls in commercial livestock production system.
authors.affiliation: Animal Genomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Arpana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajput
authors.affiliation: Animal Genomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Sachinandan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De
authors.affiliation: Animal Genomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Artificial Breeding Research Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Atish Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chakravarty
authors.affiliation: Animal Genomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India. Electronic address: tirthadatta@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tirtha Kumar
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Datta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000502:physiology*; D018899:CpG Islands; D019175:DNA Methylation / Q000502:physiology*; D005298:Fertility / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D008297:Male; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism*; D059467:Transcriptome
keywords: Buffalo; Bull fertility; Epigenetics; Methylation