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Animals
Special Issues
Epigenetics in Animal Development
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Epigenetics in Animal Development

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Genetics and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 570

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jéssica Ispada

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Animal Biotechnology, AgResearch, Ruakura Research Center, Hamilton, New Zealand
Interests: embryonic development; epigenetic reprogramming; imprinting; metabolism; metaboloepigenetics; large-offspring syndrome

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue explores the field of epigenetics in animal development, focusing on how epigenetic mechanisms regulate gene expression and shape the development in a variety of animals. Epigenetics encompasses both heritable and environmentally induced changes in gene activity, referring to genomic modifications that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence. During development, animals undergo a dramatic epigenetic reprogramming that both shapes cell differentiation and enables them to respond to the environment, leading to adjustments in phenotypic outcomes.

We invite original research, reviews, and short communications that cover:

  • Characterization of epigenetic mechanisms during embryonic development;
  • Epigenetic regulation of developmental plasticity and disorders in animals;
  • Embryonic stem cell establishment in animals;
  • Comparative analysis of epigenetic regulation during the development across animal species.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of epigenetic regulation in animal development, serving to increase the understanding of the molecular basis of phenotypic diversity and developmental plasticity in animals. Understanding the intricate role of epigenetic mechanisms in animal development not only provides insights into the fundamental processes of cell differentiation and adaptation but also has broader implications for fields such as evolutionary biology and animal biotechnology research.

Dr. Jéssica Ispada
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • epigenetics
  • animal development
  • DNA methylation
  • histone post-translational modifications
  • non-coding RNAs
  • environmental effects on gene expression
  • epigenetic reprogramming
  • embryonic stem cells
  • cell differentiation
  • comparative epigenetics

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 6350 KiB  
Article
Elucidating the Role of Transcriptomic Networks and DNA Methylation in Collagen Deposition of Dezhou Donkey Skin
by Xinrui Wang, Wei Ren, Yongdong Peng, Muhammad Zahoor Khan, Huili Liang, Yigang Zhang, Xiaotong Liu, Yinghui Chen, Xiyan Kou, Liyuan Wang, Changfa Wang and Yandong Zhan
Animals 2024, 14(8), 1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14081222 - 18 Apr 2024
Viewed by 341
Abstract
DNA methylation represents a predominant epigenetic modification with broad implications in various biological functions. Its role is particularly significant in the process of collagen deposition, a fundamental aspect of dermal development in donkeys. Despite its critical involvement, the mechanistic insights into how DNA [...] Read more.
DNA methylation represents a predominant epigenetic modification with broad implications in various biological functions. Its role is particularly significant in the process of collagen deposition, a fundamental aspect of dermal development in donkeys. Despite its critical involvement, the mechanistic insights into how DNA methylation influences collagen deposition in donkey skin remain limited. In this study, we employed whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate the epigenetic landscape and gene expression profiles in the dorsal skin tissues of Dezhou donkeys across three developmental stages: embryonic (YD), juvenile (2-year-old, MD), and mature (8-year-old, OD). Our analysis identified numerous differentially methylated genes that play pivotal roles in skin collagen deposition and overall skin maturation, including but not limited to COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1, COL4A1, COL4A2, GLUL, SFRP2, FOSL1, SERPINE1, MMP1, MMP2, MMP9, and MMP13. Notably, we observed an inverse relationship between gene expression and DNA methylation proximal to transcription start sites (TSSs), whereas a direct correlation was detected in regions close to transcription termination sites (TTSs). Detailed bisulfite sequencing analyses of the COL1A1 promoter region revealed a low methylation status during the embryonic stage, correlating with elevated transcriptional activity and gene expression levels. Collectively, our findings elucidate key genetic markers associated with collagen deposition in the skin of Dezhou donkeys, underscoring the significant regulatory role of DNA methylation. This research work contributes to the foundational knowledge necessary for the genetic improvement and selective breeding of Dezhou donkeys, aiming to enhance skin quality attributes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetics in Animal Development)
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