Exploring Tissue- and Sex-Specific DNA Methylation in Cattle Using a Pan-Mammalian Infinium Array.

ABSTRACT: DNA methylation is crucial in gene expression regulation and tissue differentiation in livestock. However, genome-wide methylation patterns among tissues remain underexplored in cattle, one of the world's most important farm animals. This study investigates sex- and tissue-specific DNA methylation in cattle using CpG site methylation data generated by an Infinium DNA Methylation array (HorvathMammalMethyl-Chip40) across seven tissues. Our analysis revealed significant tissue-specific methylation differences, with reproductive tissues/cells, such as the sperm, exhibiting distinct profiles compared to somatic tissues like hair and blood. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted tissue differentiation as the primary driver of methylation variability. We also identified 222 CpG sites wit

SUBMITTER: Hu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12072048 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature