Integrated DNA Methylation and Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Epigenetic Mechanisms of Lactation Performance Differences in Cloned Buffalo

Buffalo milk is really important in the dairy industry. How much milk a buffalo produces is controlled by both gene - reading (transcriptomic) and gene - modifying (epigenetic) processes. Past studies mostly looked at differences between individual buffaloes or different breeds. But we still don't know much about why milk production varies in genetically identical buffaloes from an epigenetic perspective. In this research, the scientists used cloned buffaloes. They combined two gene - analyzing methods, whole - genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA sequencing (RNA - seq), to find out how DNA methylation (an epigenetic change) and gene - reading regulation affect milk production differences.