DataSheet_1_Whole-Genome Methylation Analysis Reveals Epigenetic Variation in Cloned and Donor Pigs.zip

Somatic cloning has had a significant impact on the life sciences and is important in a variety of processes, including medical research and animal production. However, the application of somatic cloning has been limited due to its low success rate. Therefore, potential epigenetic variations between cloned and donor animals are still unclear. DNA methylation, one of the factors which is responsible for phenotypic differences in animals, is a commonly researched topic in epigenetic studies of mammals. To investigate the epigenetic variations between cloned and donor animals, we selected blood and ear fibroblasts of a donor pig and a cloned pig to perform whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS). A total of 215 and 707 differential methylation genes (DMGs) were identified in blood and ear fibroblasts, respectively. Functional annotation revealed that DMGs are enriched in many pathways, including T/B or natural killer (NK) cell differentiation, oocyte maturation, embryonic development, and reproductive hormone secretion. Moreover, 22 DMGs in the blood and 75 in the ear were associated with immune responses (e.g., CD244, CDK6, CD5, CD2, CD83, and CDC7). We also found that 18 DMGs in blood and 53 in ear fibroblasts were involved in reproduction. Understanding the expression patterns of DMGs, especially in relation to immune responses and reproduction, will reveal insights that will aid the advancement of future somatic cloning techniques in swine.

体细胞克隆技术在生命科学领域产生了深远影响，并在包括医学研究和动物生产在内的众多过程中扮演着至关重要的角色。然而，由于成功率较低，体细胞克隆技术的应用受到了一定的限制。因此，克隆动物与供体动物之间潜在的表观遗传变异尚不明确。DNA甲基化，作为导致动物表型差异的诸多因素之一，一直是哺乳动物表观遗传学研究的热点话题。为了探究克隆动物与供体动物之间的表观遗传变异，本研究选取了供体猪和克隆猪的血液和耳成纤维细胞进行全基因组亚硫酸氢盐测序（WGBS）。分别从血液和耳成纤维细胞中鉴定出215个和707个差异甲基化基因（DMGs）。功能注释显示，DMGs在多个通路中富集，包括T/B细胞或自然杀伤（NK）细胞分化、卵母细胞成熟、胚胎发育和生殖激素分泌等。此外，血液中的22个和耳部的75个DMGs与免疫反应（例如CD244、CDK6、CD5、CD2、CD83和CDC7）相关。我们还发现，血液中的18个和耳成纤维细胞中的53个DMGs参与繁殖过程。解析DMGs的表达模式，尤其是与其在免疫反应和繁殖过程中的关系，将有助于揭示有助于未来猪体细胞克隆技术进步的见解。