DNA methylation profiling of the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus and adrenal gland of the pig using Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS)

Three brain regions of the limbic system, the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus, are responsible for survival behaviors such as feeding and physical challenging. Hypothalamus works together with pituitary and adrenal gland (HPA-axis) to adjust homeostatic state by modulating stress-response hormones. Unraveling molecular signatures such as DNA methylation of these tissues may provide deeper insights into a link between epigenetic regulation and phenotypic plasticity of behavioral responses of animals. We examined the DNA methylation profile of amygdala (n = 20), hippocampus (n = 20), hypothalamus (n = 19) as well as a non-brain tissue, adrenal gland (n=19) of German Landrace pigs using a cost effective method, Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS).